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Scripture: Matthew 18:21-35 I. God won’t forgive the unforgiving because we’ve been forgiven for more than we’ll ever forgive. A. Jesus’ discussion of forgiveness in Matthew 18 is prompted by a question from Peter about how often to forgive. Jesus commands unlimited forgiveness (vs. 22). Jesus commands the opposite of what a man named Lamech said about himself in Genesis 4:24: “If…
Scripture: Matthew 26:26-29 I. Communion pictures an old forgiveness. A. Jesus celebrated the last supper with His disciples during the most important Jewish holiday of the year: Passover (Matthew 26:17). When the disciples participated in the last supper, they remembered an old forgiveness from God. They remembered how God had forgiven the sins of Israel on Passover night…
Scripture: Matthew 10:16-42 I. The divisiveness of Jesus leads to opposition from the world. A. “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master” (vs. 24) The world will treat you as a follower of Jesus in the same way they treated Jesus. And Jesus was crucified! “I am sending you out as…
Scripture: Matthew 9:35-10:15 I. Compassion is Jesus’s basic response to human need. A. Jesus was very busy (vs. 35). But He had compassion on all the people (vs. 36). By acting as a compassionate shepherd, Jesus fulfills the prophecy of Ezekiel 34:23-24: “And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them:…
Scripture: Matthew 9:1-17 I. Jesus came to forgive sin and change sinners. A. This was Jesus’ mission. Jesus says something totally unexpected in vs. 2: “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.” Yes, the man needed healing. But sin is always our greatest problem, and therefore forgiveness is always our greatest need. The scribes thought Jesus was…
Scripture: Matthew 8:18-34 I. The real Jesus makes demands that are personal and costly. A. In vs. 18-22 we meet two men who said they wanted to be Jesus’ disciples. A scribe, a teacher of the law, is quick to make a promise to Jesus in vs. 19: “I will follow you wherever you go.” The real Jesus…
Scripture: Matthew 8:1-17 I. Jesus has the authority to heal and transform. A. Jesus shows He has authority over both sickness and sin by healing a leper (vs. 3). All sickness is caused, directly or indirectly, by sin. In Matthew 1:21 the angel told Joseph about Mary’s child: “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for…
Scripture: Matthew 7:1-12 I. Life in the kingdom of God is not judgmental. A. Matthew 7:1 is perhaps the most well-known Bible verse in America today: “Judge not, that you be not judged.” Does Jesus mean that we should never confront someone doing wrong? No. Proverbs 27:6: “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an…
Scripture: Matthew 6:1-18 I. Be careful of your motivations in living in God’s Kingdom. A. Don’t be a hypocrite (vs. 2, 5, 16). Jesus warns in vs. 1: “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them.” Live for the applause of God, not people. We give to those in need…
Scripture: Matthew 5:17-48 I. We Christians should listen to and obey Jesus’ interpretation of the Law. A. Six times in Matthew 5 Jesus introduces a topic covered in the Old Testament Law by saying, “You have heard that it was said” (vs. 21, 27, 31, 33, 38 and 43). Jesus disagreed with what the Pharisees and scribes said about…
