Matthew

We'll never convince the world of their need for Jesus without knowing and living the reality of our need for Him ourselves. There are so many, many promises in Jesus' sermon on the hillside. However, few Christians today actually experience them? Why not? Perhaps "grace" is to blame? No, of course I don't mean real, true Biblical grace, but the kind many Christians have defined for themselves, a "grace" that looks more like license to sin than God's power within. What about you? Does your life align with God's Word? Join us over the course of the next couple of months as we take a deeper look into our Savior's Sermon On The Mount.

Jesus said that a tree is known by its fruit. Most certainly He could say the same of Himself! In this week's section of chapter four, Matthew continues his ministry and mission of making Christ known, revealing His identity as the King, showing how--just as Isaiah had said--He came teaching, preaching and healing to the glory of God. Had Matthew's Jewish brothers only accepted their King, the promise of His earthly Kingdom would have been established right then. But that wasn't God's plan, at least not then. But we're getting ahead of ourselves. Sick, suffering, sorrowful? The Great Physician is in. He rejects none who come to Him.

"I once was lost // but now am found // was blind, but now I see." The world is starving. Christ is bread for Life. Is He yours? He came down, entered our world, showed us His Father, took on our sin, laid down His life, and rose again to give us life, to the glory of His Father. That is the Gospel that feeds, sustains, and transforms starving dead sinners to Life everlasting in the joy of their Lord. Is that what's happening in you? Can such other-oriented Love infect us and not flow through us? Do we share the heart of our God? the Spirit of Christ? the Spirit of Him who went on such a divine rescue mission to redeem souls from hell? The Scripture teaches us that those who trust in Christ have His mind, have His Spirit! So it is only (super-)natural that we would share His perspective and His life-giving, loving pursuit of others who know Him not... yet. "Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain." -1Co15.1-2 Are you holding fast? Have you believed in vain? Are you bubbling over with Life-giving water where all you influence can drink deeply from Christ? "The water that I will give will become a spring of water welling up to eternal life." -Jesus, John 4.14 Hear His call, and be reminded of His promise again today: "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."

Isn't it nice to be in control of God? You know, only letting Him into the areas of our lives that we're inclined to share with Him. "I mean, come on... Surely we've got to keep some things to ourselves, right? How else can I maintain my identity? I've got to be Me, man." Our flesh is so foolish and futile. Ask yourself, "Are there any areas of life that won't belong to God in the end?" He will have His way. Whether you like it or not when He does is another thing. "For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God." -Romans 8.7-8 In this week's passage, Matthew makes a point of declaring Jesus' Galilean roots, a pill too difficult for his Jewish brethren to swallow. "If Jesus were the real Messiah, surely he'd come from Jerusalem rather than some mixed-breed hick town! No, that's not my Messiah." The Creator's pinacle of creation has a major hangup: we like to tell God what He can and can't do. However, "His ways are not His ways," or salvation would be impossible! Join us today as Matthew faithfully persists in proclaiming the Christ. Is He in you?

Ever swung a sword? For most of us these days, probably not! But, in our passage this week, Jesus certainly does, and fully intends for us to take His Sword and swing away, too! If you've been in the family of the Lord for any length of time, you know that we have a real enemy. Most likely you've heard his cunning voice, ever offering short-cuts, end-arounds to supposed health, wealth and prosperity apart from any kind of cross, apart from sharing in the sufferings of Christ. Are you constantly tempted to sin? Is it normal for saints to be bombarded by Satan, or is it because "Hey, look over there at that Christian. They don't struggle like you do. Isn't that because they're real, and you're not?" What hope do you have in fighting off those jabs, stabs and arrows of the enemy of your soul? Do you follow in the footsteps of Jesus, the leading of our Master, taking up His Sword against Satan? So much is at stake in our passage from Matthew 4.1-11. Grab a copy of God's Holy (s)Word and join His family in taking up arms against our enemy.

John the Baptist was 'preparing the way of the Lord,' baptizing sinners for repentance... when out of "No-where" (Nazareth), here He came! And He didn't show up on the scene just to watch. And He didn't go down in the water to take over John's job either. Rather our great God came to the Greatest Man (John) to be baptized, to go down into the cleansing waters! This was too much. It just didn't make any sense to cousin John. Shouldn't he be the one baptized by The One?! Today's passage is full of wonder. God's grace is often so full, that it is too much for finite creatures like us to wrap our minds around. While we may not be able to exhaust the Infinite grace and glory of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit as they appear in our passage today, our efforts will be worth every brain cell! Join us today in Matthew's Gospel for the Son's baptism, the Spirit's resting place, and the Father's pleasure.

Matthew introduces us to the cousin of the King of kings: John the Baptist. He's a bit odd. He wears a cloak of camel's hair, eats honey and locusts, lives out in the wilderness, calling men from all over to "Repent, for the Kingdom is at hand." How would you define greatness? When you think of "great men," who comes to mind? Do they look or live anything like John the Baptist? Jesus called John "the greatest man." When comparing our lives and ministries, I wonder if our tactics and teaching align more with John's or with the ways of the world? Praise God for the opportunity to spend some time with this forerunner of Jesus: John the Baptist.

His ways are not our ways. Just ask yourself, "Would I have written the Script like He did? God becomes man to save man from God... spends the majority of His life in a small hick-town, then the last three years being despised and rejected, ultimately to Roman crucifixion?" In today's passage, Father God dispatches another angel to direct the path of protection for His young Son and family. Following his heavenly Father's lead, Joseph, Jesus' adoptive father, takes the lead, obeying God's direction and warning, guiding and protecting his family back into the land of Israel, to a nothing-town called Nazareth. So... why does any of this matter? The name 'Nazareth' isn't mentioned anywhere in the Old Testament, and yet Matthew clearly states that Jesus' Nazarene roots were prophetic. What's going on? Join us today for more time with Matthew as we examine the last few verses of chapter two of his Gospel.

How thick is your skin? How thick is your sin? "I must decrease that Christ may increase." John's words befit all of God's children. We're born so bent on our own situation. But our faithful God loves us, and will, therefore, see us through to fix our hope not on ourselves, but on His Son. What will it take? Whatever it takes! As CS Lewis said, "at whatever cost to us, at whatever cost to Him." Matthew alone records Jesus' exile into Egypt to escape King Herod's threats of death. God was faithful to protect His Son from the crazy king's vented rage. But not every son escaped his jealous wrath. Mothers throughout Bethlehem cried like Rachel in Ramah over the loss of her children. But why would Matthew bring Jeremiah's words to bear on his telling of Good News? His Jewish audience would certainly know the context from which this quote came. In order to understand the weight of it--and, in so doing, be further cured by God's Word of our self-bentness--we need to understand it, too. Join us today for a little time in Matthew, and a lot with Jeremiah.

Matthew continues his proclamation of Good News, primarily to his Jewish born brothers and sisters. This week Matthew tells of another angelic visit to father Joseph in a dream: "flee to Egypt, for Herod is about to search for the Child, to destroy Him." So how would death-threats of Jerusalem's non-Jewish king further reveal Jesus as Israel's true Messiah? Have you ever entered into a covenant? Perhaps you've vowed to be faithful to one in marriage? What is the difference between a contract and a covenant? Which would you prefer God make with you? Matthew has a lot to say in three short verses, borrowing some help from Hosea, 700 years prior. Grab a copy of God's Holy Word and join us in Matthew's Gospel, chapter two, verses 13-15.

Matthew continues his mission today of proclaiming to his jewish brethren Jesus' right to the throne. However, there's already a king enthroned in Jerusalem, but he has no right to be there at all: Herod, the Edomite. When the star-following Magi appear from the east, Herod is troubled... and all Israel with him. The city is astir with hopes of a soon-coming Messiah. And apparently the religious leaders even knew where to find Him. There's so much more to learn from Herod, the Jewish leaders, and a few Gentile wise men from afar! Join us this week for Matthew 2.1-12.

Polls continue to show a steady decline in the number of professing Christians who believe in the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. What about you? Is He Man, myth or legend? Toward the end of His ministry, while being persecuted by Jewish leaders, Jesus asked the Pharisees, "What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?" The doctrine of Jesus, His human and divine lineage, are of such importance that the New Testament begins with them. Do you be-live the Truth of God's Word regarding the human and divine lineage of the Son of Man? If so, what difference does it make in your life? Do these high and lofty lessons about our Lord have any impact upon your confidence in and obedience to Sovereign King Jesus? Join us today for the remainder of Matthew's first chapter as together we consider the Son of Man, two of His many names (Jesus and Immanuel) and His two natures as Son of God and Son of Man.

Are you honest about your past? Jesus is. He knows it all: past, present and future. Matthew is on a similar mission of exposing the reality of your sinful past, present and future. Well, not just yours, but mine, and even his own, and lots of other people's too! He begins his Gospel with a long list of names, but not just any names. These names makeup the very broken family tree of King Jesus. Matthew makes every effort to point out to his Jewish brethren that Jesus really is the Messiah they're looking for. But Matthew does this in such a God-honoring, Christ-exalting, grace-displaying way: he's honest! What a novel idea. Are you honest? Are you honest about yourself? Are you honest about Jesus? Join us as we spend some time reading of and considering all Matthew has to teach, reveal and transform in us as he proclaims Jesus, the sovereign King of kings!

What a gift God has given us in His Word. Pray fervently, as we begin this new series, for the grace to know, believe, and live accordingly. Eternal Life is knowing God and the Son whom He has sent. Do you know Him, Jesus the Christ? Join us as we pursue this King and His Kingdom in Matthew's Gospel. He depicts Jesus as the Sovereign King over heaven and earth. Matthew's mission is to reveal--particularly for his Jewish brethren--how the New Testament is simply a continuation of the Old: one meta-narrative, one sacred and grand story of God's glory in the revelation of His Son, sent by God to save man from God, and to save man to God. What God concealed in the Old He has revealed in the New: King and Christ, Jesus, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham. Join us today for the introductory material to Matthew's Good News as well as the background to his title in verse one.