The Gospel According to Matthew - Week 8
Awake Us Now
Pastor points out the Old Testament’s words, “Thus says the LORD,” and compares them to the words of Jesus in the New Testament that say, “But I tell you.” What does this tell us about who Jesus is? Pastor explores the “But I tell yous” as found in Matthew chapter 5 and we learn what Jesus calls us to. That call is to a changed heart, which can only happen when we come to faith in Jesus. God’s call is personal! He wants to change each one of us by the shed blood of Jesus, the Son of God.
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The Gospel According to Matthew - Week 7
Awake Us Now
In Week 7, we hear more of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Jesus calls us salt and light. What does He mean when He uses these words to describe how we are to be? As historians have looked at world history, more and more of them are coming to the realization Christianity changed everything. Jesus has had a greater impact on the human condition than anyone in all of history. What Jesus produces in people, changes them!
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Dig Deeper - Week 11: Two Pictures of the Messiah
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We will look at the two pictures of the Messiah found in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament). 2 Pictures of Messiah Reigning King Humble Substitute This double picture is what led some of the great Hebrew rabbis to suggest there might be two Messiahs that would come at different times and in different manners. And that then became the dominant tradition: Messiah will raise the dead Messiah will be victorious Messiah will reign in Jerusalem Messiah will bring peace If we look at the New Testament the early followers of Jesus believed this same thing about the Messiah....
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The Gospel According to Matthew - Week 6
Awake Us Now
We finish Matthew 4 on following Jesus, and begin the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5 that opens with the Beatitudes.
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The Gospel According to Matthew - Week 5
Awake Us Now
Week 5 of our Matthew study digs into chapter 4 on the Temptation of Jesus, His three temptations and the reality of an unseen spiritual world.
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Questions - Week 23: How Are Minds Opened Today?
Awake Us Now
This message focuses on the question: “How are minds opened today?”, which is part of our ongoing series: “What’s the answer?” Pastor explores how people’s lives are changed and what changes their attitudes about God, about Jesus, the resurrection, and about the power of God’s Word. Pastor takes us through Luke 24:36-47, an encounter with Jesus that His disciples have with Him after His resurrection. Jesus tells them: “This is what I told you while I was still with you; Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets...
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Daniel: When Kingdoms Collide (1) - Daniel's God
Awake Us Now
The Book of Daniel is the story of the collision of two kingdoms, a spiritual war that is still being fought in the heavens and on the earth. In the end, the Kingdom of God wins!
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The Gospel According to Matthew - Week 4
Awake Us Now
Week 4 of our Matthew study is all about John the Baptist and his message of repentance, a message that can be difficult for the religious to accept.
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The Gospel According to Matthew - Week 3
Awake Us Now
In our study of Matthew this week we look at chapters 2 and 3, with an emphasis on deliverance through Jesus the Messiah and the fulfillment of the New Covenant through Him as well.
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The Gospel According to Matthew - Week 2
Awake Us Now
This week our study of Matthew takes us into chapter 2 and the story of Jesus’ birth focusing on the Magi, their interaction with Herod, and their interesting gifts to Jesus.
info_outlineThis teaching is from Matthew 22:1-40 and continues our exploration into Jesus’ final week of his ministry before his death and resurrection. While there is rising anger against Him Jesus’ heart is to continue to work to call those against Him to the truth of the Scriptures and to God. Jesus makes it clear that it is possible to be incredibly religious and yet have no real genuine relationship with God.
Pastor finishes exploring the 3 parables in Matthew 21 and 22 with today’s dive starting with the third parable where we see that these individuals, the religious leaders, truly did not understand the scripture and did not respond to the obvious.
3 Parables
1. Indictment (Matthew 21:28-32)
2. Sentencing (Matthew 21:33-46)
These two parables were discussed in last week’s teaching. Use the links below to listen to Matthew Week 30)
3. Execution (Matthew 22:1-14) is shown in the Parable of the Marriage Feast.
It starts by saying the kingdom of heaven is like a King (God) who prepared a wedding banquet for His Son (the Messiah coming to Israel). All of Israel was invited - the One they have been longing for! The king sends out his servants to let the invitees know of the banquet, but even though they have been eagerly anticipating the Messiah’s arrival, verse 53 says, “but they refused to come.” The king again sends his servants out to announce the banquet saying the dinner is prepared and all is ready! Come to the wedding banquet! (The long awaited Messiah is here!! Come celebrate!)
The parable goes on to say the invited paid no attention to this second invite and some seized the servant announcing the invite and killed him. This enraged the king and he sent his army and destroyed the murderers and burnt down their city. (This is a foreshadowing - Jesus knows what is coming - because religious leaders and others rejected Him - not only reject Him but will kill Him and so this is Jesus giving a head up that judgement is coming to the city of Jerusalem (this will be discussed further in the upcoming weeks)
The parable continues with the king telling the servants that as those invited did not come that they are to invite anyone they find.(prostitutes, tax collectors, and the non-Jewish world - Gentiles). And the servants filled the wedding hall.
In verse 11 the King (God) notices a guest that is not wearing wedding clothes so the king asks him how he got in without the wedding clothes that he was offering to everyone who came. (The white robes of righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ). The man not having the clothing was thrown out into the darkness.
Jesus is making it very clear that there is salvation and life forever found through faith in Him and Him alone. He is challenging the religious leadership to see Him for who He is - the prophesied Messiah they have been waiting for!
After Jesus told this Parable the Pharisees decided to lay plans to trap Jesus. They united with the Herodians in a well-planned attack with the question that no matter which way Jesus replied, He would be found guilty by one or the other group. The question: “What is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?”
If He answered yes, pay the tax to Caesar, the Pharisees would have risen up against Him as they were not happy to be under the control of Rome and despised paying tax to the very ones whose rule they were under. If He answered not to pay the tax then the Herodians would have risen up against Him as they supported Roman rule.
But Jesus cuts their scheming plan off at the knees by His reply:”Show me the coin used for paying the imperial tax. Whose image and inscription is this?” They replied “Caesar’s.” Jesus continues, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”
Jesus’ answer was brilliant. His answer doesn’t allow either of them to accuse Him of anything. His response amazed them so they left Him and went on their way.
The dissension around Jesus is rising with verbal attack after verbal attack. At each attack the crowds hear Jesus’ answers and they are astonished at His teaching while the religious leaders get angrier.
Further on in chapter 22 Jesus is asked this question, “Which is the greatest command in the law?” Jesus’ answer: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and will all your mind!’ This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the law and prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Again they are amazed, but Jesus comes back immediately with a question for them! And it’s a really good one! Come back next week to find out!!
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