The King’s Power and Heart
Notes
Transcript
When we look at these 2 words - our minds can run to extremes in both cases
Those king’s / rulers who desire power and will stop at nothing to get the power they crave
Those with overwhelming heart and will lay everything aside at the sake of pleasing a potential critique or have to evade a difficult circumstance
Yet, God in His amazing wisdom is the perfect balance of and navigates these pitfalls of these areas with perfect precision.
Thought about how incredible God is? Jesus is masterful in every way!
Heart surgeon - precise cuts
My hands - haha
Gets to the root of the problem
Power Over Sin
Power Over Sin
And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city. And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.
Mark 2 and Luke 5 - 4 men help their friend suffering with an illness by making an opening in the roof and lowering him down to Jesus
Jesus could have said, Arise, and walk, but He didn’t
Jesus didn’t want to simply demonstrate power over a sickness, but He wanted to expose to the scribes and Pharisees’ hearts to themselves while warning others of having what is inside their heart to spread to theirs
The world was trying to figure out who Jesus is. They hadn’t seen someone like Him before, and they were trying to reconcile Jesus in their hearts.
Matthew 7:29 “For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.”
Conflict was between God Himself and man wanting the power and glory for himself and it was beginning to manifest itself
And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth.
Jesus knew their thoughts - He sees the very reasoning when no one else does
And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?
Jesus bluntly says not only do I know what your thoughts are, but I know why you’re thinking what you’re thinking
THIS IS CALLED THE HEART
Started talking something out, and by the end of the conversation you realized that what you thought you wanted wasn’t what your heart wanted?
For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. And he arose, and departed to his house.
Jesus knew their hearts were threatened by their power, their results, the things they were bound in tradition by, and their prestige being removed by He, Himself, the very Word of God.
These Pharisees were clamoring for a way to regain their status and power
God can expose our hearts!
Campaign motive?
Prove how many people I can reach? Look how many were in my class! Did you see what I did?!
My God is so incredible! He has loved me beyond compare, and my heart yearns to help others experience that same incredible love of the Savior. Here’s a tool that may help encourage a family member, neighbour, and colleague to come to church and hear the Gospel.
Watch God work in their heart through seeds of Scripture planted.
A ministry is simply serving with grace - the heart and motive to strengthen and equip those around us
God through Matthew exposes how we can see where the “CHECK ENGINE” light is on warning us of a heart motive problem:
Matthew 9:3 “And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth.”
Reaction
A reaction that immediately discredits the truth presented
Neighbour coming over and telling them that everyone I had to say was utter nonsense
Decision made
Notice that the punctuation mark at the end of the sentence:
England - FULL STOP
They were not working through this situation with a heart that was open to what God was demonstrating and imploring them with.
They had already decided. Their minds were made up, because their heart was hard.
Jonathan - touching the electrical wall socket
He had already decided that he was going to touch it
When it comes to the Word of God and the ministry He allows to serve, God desires our hearts to approach it with an openness and willingness to learn, grow, and mature together
But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.
The glory was given rightfully to God - this conversation and miracle drew people to God!
They were still figuring it out and Matthew admitted such:
…such power unto men
Power Over Scorn
And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him. And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?
Matthew - tax collector - these tax collectors were notorious for benefitting themselves
$1,000 property tax - you now owe $2,000
$10 toll for entering the city - $15
Levy taxes and would charge more than necessary to line their own pockets
The Jews especially despised men like Matthew
Jesus simply comes up to Matthew says, Follow me, and Matthew does just that.
He longed for something money and deception could not satisfy until he met Jesus!
Matthew’s life is so changed by this that he throws a massive party to celebrate.
Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? to the DISCIPLES
But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
The sick need a doctor, not the healthy
Thank God He comes to those who are sick with sin
Jesus came to the Pharisees - They were mortally ill, and refused to admit the symptoms
Jesus told them the symptoms and they still rejected Him
Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not? And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast. No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse. Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.
The disciples of John knew Jesus, but they were troubled by what they saw
They fasted with John often. They saw the religious Pharisees fast. However, they never saw the disciples fast.
2 motives:
Scorn
THY disciples
THEY don’t
Exploration
Jesus lovingly explained that there was a better way
The law exposed the need for Jesus, and now Jesus, the fulfillment of the law, was introducing an age that would look different because of Him that would be called Christianity - Christ - likeness
Power Over Sleep
Power Over Sleep
While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live. And Jesus arose, and followed him, and so did his disciples. And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment: For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour. And when Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise, He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn. But when the people were put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose. And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land.
In Mark 5 and Luke 8 we see this story unfold as well
Jairus - YAR - EE - OSE
Daughter is very ill - time is short
On the way his daughter dies, and already mourning was taking place for her.
Jesus - it’s ok. Let’s keep going.
Jesus resurrects her from “sleep”
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
Heart For People
Heart For People
And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.
Those that claimed to be leaders, were as lost as the sheep
Jesus prayer request was for labourers to go into the harvest and preach the Gospel: