What blessings should we expect for following Jesus? Well, earlier in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus called John the Baptist the last and greatest prophet (Matt. 11:7-14). What would his reward be? And what does his legacy teach us about following Jesus ourselves?
"Familiarity breeds contempt," as the saying goes. But why is Jesus really rejected by his hometown? As we begin Part 4 of the Gospel of Matthew, we'll see why Jesus is so offensive to so many people--including to you and me--and why that's a very good thing.
The Apostle Paul. Augustine of Hippo. William Wilberforce. Dietrich Bonhoeffer. In Scripture and throughout church history there are certain people--most of them unknown -who uniquely devoted themselves to Christ's kingdom even at great cost to themselves. It raises the question, what is the fuel that powers such great sacrifice? Jesus' last three parables in Matthew 13 will show us how we can grow in seeking first the kingdom in our day-to-day lives.
In his third and fourth parables, Jesus reveals something about the nature of his kingdom: it starts small. Jesus was born in a manger, wandered mostly around the rural areas of Israel, and was barely known by the powers of his time until after his death. What's true of Jesus and his ministry is true of how the kingdom works in us and through us--even though it starts small, it ultimately has incredible impact.
We've been reminded vividly this week about the reality of evil in our world, even in the church. In God's providence, our passage for this Sunday--the Parable of the Wheat and Weeds--addresses this very reality: If Christ's kingdom has come then why is there still so much evil in the world? And what should we as the church do about it?
Do you have family or friends who don't believe the gospel? I'm sure you do. Or perhaps you're seeking but struggling to believe the gospel yourself. Have you ever wondered, if the Good News is so "good" then why do so many people reject it? Why does it seem so hard to believe? Well we come to the teaching portion ("discourse") in Part 3 of the Gospel of Matthew, where Jesus explains why so many people aren't seeing the "good" in his good news. From his famous parable of the soils, we'll hear Christ's defense of his message and see both the root and the fruit of true belief in him.
Wouldn't it be nice if God always gave us a clear sign when we asked? Then we would always know the right job to take, the right place to live, the right person to marry, and the perfect time to speak up. Yet in this week's passage, Jesus says asking for a sign is only a sign of unbelief, not belief. Through the continued opposition he endures in Matthew 12, Jesus will show us where we should look for faith, assurance, and wisdom.
Have you ever said something you wish you could take back? As the opposition to Christ and his kingdom continues in Part 3 of Matthew, Jesus' response to the Pharisees reveals a timeless principle about the connection between our words and our hearts.
Part 3 of the Gospel of Matthew is heavily combative, particularly between Jesus and the Pharisees, but there is a break in the action in Sunday's passage. It shows us ultimately that Jesus' ministry isn't primarily a boxing match. It's a servant ministry, a quiet ministry, a ministry to bruised reeds and smoldering wicks. And this, of course, has massive implications for our own church's ministry, too.
The Bible is full of commands--there are at least 1500 of them! But Sunday's passage shows that there is a right and wrong way to view and follow God's good law. As we continue to see opposition build to Christ and his kingdom, we'll hear Jesus declare the purpose and priority of God's law for believers--as he points to his unique authority as God and King.
In this Sunday's passage, we hear perhaps Jesus' harshest condemnation and his most compassionate invitation--set right next to each other. In light of the people's rejection of Christ's kingdom, we'll learn the primary factor that distinguishes those who resist Christ and those who find rest in Christ.
Have you ever been disappointed with God? How do we respond when our expectations of God, the church, and our lives don't line up with the reality? This week we're diving back into the Gospel of Matthew. After Matthew introduces the promised King (ch. 1-3) and Jesus announces the kingdom (ch. 4-7) and brings the arrival of the kingdom (ch. 8-10), but now in Part 3 (ch. 11-13) we'll see the reality of opposition and rejection of Christ's kingdom.
Two weeks ago we saw that Jesus calls, commissions, and empowers kingdom workers like us to share his good news. But this Sunday's passage is a reality check. On this mission, there will be significant and surprising opposition. Yet in the midst of this persecution, we'll see that Jesus offers us incredible comfort.
This Sunday, Jesus invites and instructs his disciples--and us--in his kingdom mission. We'll see that being a Christian is not just a calling to Christ but it's a calling to love and share the gospel with the world around us.
We have the privilege to welcome Dillon Cauley, Pastoral Resident at Beacon Community Church in Belmont, MA. Dillon will preach the word to us as we continue in our sermon series in the Gospel of Matthew.
This Sunday we'll continue our sermon series in the Gospel of Matthew, and we have the privilege to have Pastor Ron Bouthillette preach God's word to us. Pastor Ron is the Lead Pastor of The Bridge Community Church (formerly First Baptist Church) in Milford, New Hampshire. He is also an Adjunct Professor at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary and former member of Ruggles from back in the 1970s!
As we continue in our series in the Gospel of Matthew, we see Jesus begin to reveal more and more both his identity and his purpose. We'll see in our passage on Sunday that both Jesus' authority and Jesus' mission is directed toward a singular goal: to heal sick sinners.
2020 has been a chaotic year, but the truth is, this year has reminded us how little control we have over our lives. In Sunday's passage, we'll see Jesus' sovereignty over chaos over both nature and evil--and learn how we should respond not in fear but in faith and peace.
We return this week to the Gospel of Matthew where Jesus encounters a hasty scholar and a hesitant son. In these short interactions, we'll learn what it means to follow Jesus and submit to him as King.
Jesus is known, even by his skeptics, as not only a great teacher but a miraculous healer as well. Yet what was the purpose of Jesus healing people as part of his ministry? And what can we learn from Jesus' healings in the first century as we endure a plague of disease in the 21st century? This Sunday, we move into a new section of the Gospel of Matthew as we transition from learning about Christ's kingdom to seeing it in action.
