29 13.53

Rose Crawford had been blind for fifty years. Then she had an operation in an Ontario hospital. She said, “I just can’t believe it,” as the doctor lifted the bandages from her eyes. She wept, when for the first time in her life she saw a dazzling world of form and color that greeted her eyes and she could now see.

The amazing thing about her story, however, was that twenty years of her blindness was unnecessary. She didn’t know that surgical techniques had been developed, and that an operation could have restored her vision at the age of thirty. The doctor said, “She just figured there was nothing that could be done for her condition. Much of her life could have been different.”

It’s sad that Rose continued in blindness because of ignorance. However, what is even sadder is that some people choose to live in the darkness by continually rejecting Jesus the source of real light. Unbelief makes people unreceptive to the power of God.

Several years ago the spokesman for the American Atheists Inc. entered into a debate with William Craig a Christian with a PH.D. in theology, in front of 8000 people and with 100+ radio stations broadcasting this event. During the debate people were amazed to find out that Christianity can stand up to rational analysis and rugged scrutiny.

However, in the end it was no contest. Among those who had entered the auditorium that evening as avowed atheists, agnostics or skeptics an overwhelming 82% concluded that the case for Christianity had been most compelling, and an amazing 47 people came to Christ, and absolutely nobody became an atheist!

So what was so compelling? What did William Craig say that turned so many people to Christ? And what evidence was given for the resurrection of Christ? What was so compelling was that William Craig defended the resurrection with common sense. William Craig saw, that the only thing that makes sense after looking at all the evidence for and against the resurrection, is that Christ is alive!

Unbelief and skepticism turns seemingly intelligent people into fools. As the psalmist says:

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. (Psalm 14:1)

We come this evening because we believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. We believe he died for our sins, rose from the dead, and one day will return for us. So we gather in his name to worship and praise him.

SERMON

Question: What do an airplane, bicycle have in common?

Answer: If either stops moving forward you’re in trouble!

Some might add churches to that list as well. If it stops moving forward it’s in trouble.

Why do some churches seem to experience growth while others do not?

Is it the style of worship: traditional vs. contemporary

Is it Amazing Grace vs. Lord I Lift Your Name On High

Is it the preaching?

Is it the programs?

Is it the building?

Is it the budgets?

The truth is it’s none of those things. We don’t need more programs, we need more God! We don’t need a bigger budget, we need more God! We don’t need a newer or bigger more building, we need more God! We don’t even need more people, we need more God so that when visitors do come they experience God. They don’t want know our plans, our procedures, or our programs as much as they want to know our God. They want to know that we have a faith that affects the way we live.

We are at the end of Matthew 13 this evening. Our passage describes a visit Jesus made to Nazareth and the reception he received while he was there.

Video

SLIDE 1 A Church called a new preacher who was 60. His first sermon was 15 minutes long. The sermon was a little short, but the congregation didn’t mind. The next week he preached for 20 minutes. That was OK too. However, the following week he preached for an hour and 45 minutes. After the service the elders pulled him off to the side demanding an answer for such an atrocity. He said, “Well, you know that parsonage bathroom is so small and my wife and I were running late this morning and we got mixed up and I accidentally put her false teeth in by mistake and once you get those things a goin’ you just can’t get ’em to stop.” At the next board meeting it was recommended to build a bigger bathroom on to the parsonage.

We are finishing Matthew 13 this evening. We are almost half-way through the book. Here’s a list of the miracles Jesus has performed so far that are recorded in the gospel. SLIDE 2

Healed a leper – (8:1)

Heals centurion’s servant (8:5)

Heals Peter’s mother-in-law (8:14)

Many were healed (8:16)

Wind and waves obeyed Him (8:23)

Healed paralyzed man (9:1)

Heals sick woman (9:20)

Raised a girl from the dead (9:25)

Made the blind to see (9:29)

Made the mute to speak (9:32)

Healed man with a shriveled (12:9)

Healed all who were ill (12:15)

Healed man that was blind and mute (12:22)

These are some of the miracles Jesus had performed. Notice that twice we told, “and he healed a bunch of other people too.” However, how many miracles did Jesus perform in Nazareth? Not very many. Why? Because the people lacked faith. He didn’t perform very many miracles because the people lacked faith.

Faith is the bedrock of our relationship with God. In Hebrews 11 – the chapter that lists so many of the Old Testament heroes – we are given this definition faith. SLIDE 3

1Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. (Hebrews 11:1)

Then we’re told in the next verse: SLIDE 4

2This is what the ancients were commended for. (Hebrews 11:2)

For hat were the ancients commended? They were commended for their faith in God. Think about the many things these great heroes did.

Noah built ark

Moses crossed the Red Sea

Joshua defeated Jericho

With only 300 men Gideon beat army

David fought Goliath

Daniel faced lions

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego faced fiery furnace

Hebrews 11 lists these and many more these heroes did, but for what were they commended? They were commended for their faith. These things they did were simply a result of their faith. They were proof of their faith. But it was because of their faith that they were commended. Because, as the writer of Hebrews tells us: SLIDE 5

6And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)

Without faith there is no relationship. Our relationship with God is built upon our faith in him. Faith is the foundation.

SLIDE 6 Gregory Elder grew up on the Atlantic Coast. As a child he loved to spend his time at the beach. For hours each day he’d sit in the sand and build castles and intricate cities. But one year his joy in these creations was threatened by bullies who decided it would be fun to smash everything he made. What could he do? They were bigger than he was and there were too many of them for him to fight. Gregory decided to change his approach to how he built things. He built the same kinds of castles and cities, but he changed his foundation. Now, instead of using only sand, Gregory built his castles and cities on top of cinder blocks, rocks, and chunks of concrete. When he saw his tormentors approaching he would disappear. Eventually they learned to find their entertainment elsewhere. The right foundation makes all the difference.

Isn’t that what Jesus said at the end of the Sermon on the Mount? SLIDE 7

Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. (Matthew 7:24)

It matters how you build things. It matters what kind of foundation we lay for our buildings and homes.

SLIDE 8 They say that the Tower of Pisa in Italy is one of the most famous buildings in the world, but you know it has one “little problem.” It’s foundation was too shallow to hold the building up on the soft soil on which it was built. The tower has stood for over 800 years, but it leans 18 feet off center. One day, experts say, it will fall. All because it wasn’t built on the right foundation.

Our relationship with God must be built on faith. Why? Because without faith it is impossible to please God.

Jesus was amazed at the faith of the centurion (8:10)

The paralyzed man was healed because of the faith of his friends (9:2)

The sick woman was healed because of her faith (9:22)

Jesus said to the blind man, “According to your faith let it be done to you” (9:29

And then we read:

And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith. (Matthew 13:58)

They just didn’t believe. Despite the many miracles they’d heard Jesus perform before he arrived and despite the few he did while he was there, they would not believe and so he did not do many miracles.

What was their problem? Why could they not bring themselves to have faith in Jesus? They didn’t believe because they knew him. He’d grown up before their eyes. He’d gone to school with their kids. They’d seen him working with Joseph. So when he shows up teaching in their synagogue and doing miracles they were left scratching their heads.

Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?

In a couple of chapters we’ll see Jesus asking the disciples who the people say he is. In this passage the people are already answering the question.

Isn’t this the carpenter’s son?

Isn’t his mother’s name Mary?

Aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas?

Aren’t all his sisters with us?

Where then did this man get all these things?

Then, instead of placing their faith in him, they took offense at him. “Who does he think he is? He’s no better than we are.” Matthew tells us that they were amazed with his teaching and miracles, but they were offended and would not believe.

Intellectually, they knew Jesus could do mighty works. Intellectually they realized that taught with power and not like the Pharisees. But despite knowing this – and more – they asked, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” (Matthew 13:54) And then, “they took offense at him.” (Matthew 13:57)

Now what a bizarre statement. They start by acknowledging Jesus’ power and wisdom, then they start talking about his family, and end with getting offended with the whole idea that Jesus could do and say what he did.

They knew all about Jesus that they wanted to know. They knew his parents. They knew his siblings. If they needed a carpenter they knew where to look. But they refused to come to him for instruction or healing. That was just too much. They just couldn’t believe that. It made them uncomfortable.

Let me ask you, do we do that as well? How many times do we fall into the same trap? We read our Bible, go to church, pray a few basic prayers and then we go on with our lives. We know where to find Jesus when we need him. It’s a very comfortable arrangement. Jesus runs his things and we run ours. But as a preacher once said, every once in while Jesus gets out of his box. Every once in while Jesus moves. He begins to challenge us in ways we’re not accustomed to being challenged. And when he does our faith is challenged. Will we believe? Will will do something that demonstrates that faith? Jesus puts us into situations where we have to prove that we believe it. And when that time comes we have to ask ourselves: “Do we really believe what we say we do?”

I like this story of faith and I’m pretty sure I’ve told it before, but it’s been a while so I’ll repeat it.

Jeff Strite tells about going to a new church to serve. Their previous preacher had convinced them to step out on faith and build a new foyer (which they needed) and a sanctuary (which Jeff says was not essential at the time). They had already raised $100,000, but there was a problem. Some of the people were uncomfortable with borrowing any large amount of money. Those who were not so godly in the church were the most vocal about their opposition. It had become a deep problem in that congregation that Jeff feared might actually split them wide open, so he suggested a compromise. Why not just start with the foyer, which they had enough money to build without borrowing. Then, to appease the people worried with borrowing money, the Board promised to only spend what they had and they would not borrow any money.

They broke ground and all was going well until the they tested the ground and were told us the ground didn’t “perk” (absorb water). Instead of the $5000 septic system they’d planned on, now they had to spend $20,000 on a much more elaborate system which put them $10,000 over budget. No one was very happy happy. So at the next Board meeting Jeff suggested having a “Miracle Sunday”. They would schedule a Sunday several weeks off and ask for a special offering to meet the need.

As Jeff finished his sermon for that Sunday he had everything but a closing illustration so he prayed asking God to help. At that point, Jeff says it was like he got “nudged” and into my mind came a question: “What is tomorrow?” “It’s Miracle Sunday.” Then another thought entered my mind: “How much do you need?” And then this idea came to mind. If it was from God it would truly be a miracle. If it was something he ate he might get fired. Jeff called the treasurer and asked him to count the offering during the worship service, rather than afterward as they usually did. The reason: that was going to be his closing illustration. Jeff was going to tell the congregation that the offering was going to be $10,000 dollars and then the treasurer would come out and tell them exactly what they’d received.

Coming to the end of his sermon that Sunday morning he asked the congregation what was special about this particular Sunday. “Miracle Sunday” came the answer. “How much do we need?” I asked” “$10,000!” Then he pulled out a calculator. He pretended to punch the buttons as he explained that there were a certain number of people there that day – so many were farmers, so many were retired, so many were children – and according to his calculations, the best they would come up with that day would about $5600. Jeff asked, “How many of you think that would be a pretty good response today?” No one seemed particularly excited about that. Then Jeff said, “You know, there’s a problem here. This is my calculator. Let me show God’s calculator”, and pointed to verses of God telling his people he would provide for them. Jeff asked “How many of you have prayed that God would supply $10,000 today?” About 2/3’s of the congregation shot up their hands. Jeff continued, “Well, because you have obeyed God by being faithful in prayer on this matter, I’m convinced that he’s going to supply us with $10,000 today. In fact, I’m so convinced that I’ve asked Mark to count the money during our worship service, and he’s going to come now and tell you how much we’ve received.”

Out stepped Mark, and Jeff said he didn’t look very comfortable. In fact, Jeff says he looked like someone had just shot his dog. Jeff wondered if they should just shoot him, but he was committed by then. “How much do we have Mark?” Jeff asked. “We have ten thousand, nine hundred, ninety nine dollars and ninety six cents.” Mark had been nervous because he’d never handled that much money before. The audience erupted in cheers and it was a story that defined their congregation for the next few years.

The congregation had been good stewards in setting aside their $100,000, but that had all been about themselves. They really weren’t depending on to supply that amount. But once they became trapped with a debt that they hadn’t expected they had to depend upon God. Miracle Sunday was God’s way of forcing them depend upon him.

God forced them out of their comfort zone in order to prove to them what he could do. He forced them to ask if they really believed what they said they did. It is easy for us to say we believe, but do we really? If we do it will show up in our actions.

Our passage starts by telling us how when Jesus taught in the synagogue that the people in Nazareth were amazed. When Mark tells this same story he ends it by saying,

He was amazed at their lack of faith. (Mark 6:6)

Would Jesus be amazed by your faith, or by your lack of faith? It’s not just that we believe Jesus to be the Son of God who died for our sins, rose from the dead, and will return one day. Are we trusting him every day? Are we demonstrating that faith in the way we live?

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