Sermons

The theme of the chapter is about discernment and wisdom. In these verses Jesus is helping us to discern good from bad and especially good leaders in the church from bad leaders in God’s church. I would also say this, “That bad theology and bad fruit are intricately linked by Jesus.”

At the heart of Jesus teaching, there is a question about both your attitude to God and about your attitude to your possessions. The question essentially comes down to this, “Who or what occupies the greatest place in your life?” Is God and Christ your treasure or is your money, your possessions and resources your treasure? To be entirely accurate, the word used is not “Money” but “Mammon” which includes money, but can also mean your possessions and resources.

I do love the way Rick Warren puts it. “It’s not about you!!” This line in the Lord’s Prayer screams that at us! This line drags our eyes away from our circumstances to God’s purposes and Kingdom in this world. It is good for me to do that because it is an amazing cure all for my selfishness and narrow vision. It is like Jesus is telling me to open my eyes and see the big picture. Not only the “big picture” but the right picture. This world belongs to God and everything in it. With these words, The compass in my mind resets. It is as if I have suddenly discovered true north – the true spiritual road that needs to be followed.

Jesus Calms the Storm “Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”” This was the first message delivered via live stream because, as a church, we could not conduct our ordinary Sunday Services. In this sermon we look at Matthew description of Jesus showing us his amazing power and might by stilling the winds and the waves. We also notice that Jesus rebuked his disciples for their lack of faith. As the repercussions of the Covit-19 virus go through society we need to trust that Jesus is with us and has all power.

Experiencing all that they did, the Wise mens’ expectations would have all been turned on their head! So we read that they left Bethlehem by another route because they were warned about Herod’s murderous intentions. Yet, figuratively speaking, they travelled home by another route because they were inwardly changed.  They came to Bethlehem thinking one thing and they left thinking something altogether different.  They left Bethlehem, literally and figuratively by another route. All their preconceptions had been challenged and changed by what they saw and experienced in Bethlehem!

Moving towards Christmas we look at one of the prophecies regarding Jesus birth.  Found in the first chapter of Matthew it is originally found in Isaiah 7 and concerns the coming of Immanuel, born of a virgin.  A familiar passage, as is the whole Christmas story.  Yet, has the good news of Jesus coming become old news for us?  In the same way, a view loses its wonder, or an experience fades in our minds, does the Christmas story still give us the same joy and excitement and hope that it always has?  This prophecy reveals to us that God sees our need, he cares and he acts.  This should daily fill us with joy and hope in believing.  A story which should never lose its significance and should lead us to live lives of gratitude.

Joseph would be a recipient of Christ’s finished work on the cross. Because he brought the baby home with him, nurtured him, protected him, cared for him and trained him. Despite the fact that Joseph was a righteous and sensitive man he still needed a Saviour and that Saviour was Jesus. Even the best of us need a Saviour. Humanly speaking Joseph was righteous. Spiritually speaking he needed a Saviour and that was the child that he had adopted as his own.

It isn’t that we initially said “no” to God and then said “Yes” to God and proved that by our obedience. The point is that our works prove our faith as genuine. Words can be cheap but they are not always cheap. They are only cheap if there is no “obedience” or no “action” to match them.

Here we examine the Character of the Judge, the Character of the Widow, the Character of God and the Character of Prayer. This parable gives us a character by contrast.  On one hand an unjust, uncaring judge who eventually and reluctantly gives justice – is compared to a loving heavenly father who loves to give good gifts to his children.  As the widow overcame fear and had confidence to use her position before the judge, so too are you and I to come before our Father in heaven as his beloved children in persistent prayer.  Are you praying?

In hearing a good teacher, applying God’s Word, we hear both wonderful ancient truths and new truths. Or ancient truth applied in a fresh way! These truths are not brand new or have never been heard of before but truths that touch out hearts and lives in a fresh and vigorous way. Truths that remind us that God is working in this world and has everything in his hand.

Jesus could have worked the Nazareth’ crowd and performed miracles there, and they would have loved him for it. The problem would be that he would have left them in their sin. They would have thought that they were the objects of God’s love instead of the objects of His wrath. Jesus wasn’t giving in to cheap popular-ism. Jesus was there on a mission, which is to comfort those who were struggling and to challenge those who are comfortable.

In this section of Scripture, Jesus is pictured as he really is. He is pictured as a King, coming in all his glory with his angels. He then calls the nations before him and he is placing all humanity into two distinct camps. He is separating the sheep from the goats. On the day of judgement, we will be placed in one camp or the other camp, we will be separated to be on his right or left hand. So, what puts one among the sheep? What puts one onto the right side of Jesus and he give us the answer in our text.

In this parable we see that something is going to happen and that therefore there is something we have to do. Jesus has come once and he’s coming back again.  When he returns, he will take with him to heaven, to the marriage supper of the lamb, all those who have accepted him as their saviour.  Knowing he is coming back then, we must be ready for that day.

In this parable we find a servant as a debtor, a creditor and finally a prisoner. Having been forgiven so much he should have forgiven the one in debt to him.  For the Christian, having been forgiven such a great amount we must also forgive others  For the Christian forgiveness towards others is not only possible, but it is necessary.

No doubt those who heard this parable, especially the disciples who were fisherman, knew exactly what Jesus was talking about when he spoke about a dragnet. Once the fish were brought to shore, a judgement would have to be made about the fish. Which one’s made good eating and which ones did not! The good ones would be collected and the bad ones were just discarded as being of no value. Jesus simply says that this is how it will be at the end of the age! The angels will come forth and separate the wicked from the righteous.

In this parable we examine the character of the king, the conduct of the subjects of the kingdom. The Master in the parable, like Jesus, incarnates his deep concern for the poor as he shows costly love.  The master’s generosity and compassion give the labourers great hope which we likewise must show to others, that they might find hope in this world.  The Master’s treatment of his workers prompts those hired last to ask whether he has been fair to them?  As Christians we might also ask whether God has been fair to us in certain circumstances.  In light of the gospel however we know that he has been more than fair to us.

Jesus is saying that the Kingdom of God is like a treasure. It is something of unsurpassed value. The discovery of it is fabulous and leads to joy. In simple language, a relationship with Jesus is simply something of unsurpassed value.

While the world says that Christianity is irrelevant and that this or that movement is far more significant, the truth is that the Kingdom of God is something that grows and we look back at 2000 years of history and we know that! This is a parable of hope and speaks of growth and hope. Even in countries where Christianity has gone backwards, there can always be revival and new beginnings. The fact that the Kingdom of God grows from small beginnings is hugely comforting for us because our efforts are often small and yet God can do great things.

Many of us don’t like to be black and white when it comes to basically two kinds of people on earth. Many of us like to think that there are far more categories of people There may be some who are neutral. During WW1 and 2 in Europe there were some countries that declared neutrality. They didn’t want to be involved and they didn’t want to pick sides. Some, of course, would like to think that there are other categories for other religions and philosophies. Yet, Jesus reduces them to two categories and I think we must stick to the categories that Jesus gives us.

A teacher, preacher, evangelist’s role is to effectively sow the seed. In other words, he has to faithfully proclaim, to the best of his ability, the Word of God. Yet, he is not responsible for the germination and growth of the seed – God does that!  Unlike a salesman who is judged on sales, a kingdom worker is judged on his labour, not by his fruit. For you and me, our responsibility is to be sowers. We can do so in all kinds of ways to all kinds of people.For those who hear the gospel, the question is this, “Is your heart open to the gospel? Are you receptive to God’s truth?”