The Authority of the Son
Matthew - People of the Last Days • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Children and security...
Parents relationship
Adulting taken care of… love for the child, time for the child, money (not a concern for the child), settled home, not out of control...
And when things do go wrong, where do they look, where do they take the lead from… their parents
In life, we are like the child… we need stability, we need security, we need to know things are going to be ok, we need someone to rely upon, because lets face it, even as we adult we have many things to work out!
Today we are reminded that we do have the one to rely upon… it is Jesus. He has authority, he has power, he does and will bring change, allowing us to live by faith and with hope.
So far…
People of the last days
People of the last days
1 When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him.
1 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them. He said:
The people of the last days have been taught how they ought to live… will they continue?
The people of the last days have been amazed by Jesus’ teaching and miracles… how will others who meet Jesus respond?
The light is in their midst…
16 the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.”
will they live by it? Will they live by him?
These are questions for us too...
How will we respond to Jesus as we meet him in Matthew’s gospel? Will we have faith? Will we submit?
And if we do, will we continue in faith, continue submitting, continue living by his teaching… will we continue to live by the light that shines in teh darkness? And if we do, will we be the light to the world with our actions and words?
The last couple of weeks, Tom and Bill, have taken you through chapter 8:1-22. You have seen Jesus ability to heal, his power, his willingness to have a go at Israel who wouldn’t respond in faith, but also his grace to those who have faith in him. But there was a hard word also, following Jesus takes priority and so will challenge the priorities that we set for ourselves… we need to let Jesus set our priorities, the things that should be urgent.
Thank you, Tom & Bill...
Do we really know Jesus? Do we really know the authority he has? His power?
Power over wind and waves
Power over wind and waves
23 Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. 24 Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” 26 He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. 27 The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”
Waters of the sea trying to swallow them whole… seen as a portal to the underworld!
“You of little faith” Matthew 6:30 “30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?”
9 You rule over the surging sea; when its waves mount up, you still them.
5 You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds, God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas, 6 who formed the mountains by your power, having armed yourself with strength, 7 who stilled the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the turmoil of the nations.
Jesus, standing among them, on the boat, is God in the flesh, Immanuel!
You cannot treat him as you would other men, even powerful men… no Jesus is God, he commands the wind and the waves
O you of little faith, do you not see that Jesus is worthy of your faith, worthy of your honour, worthy of your submission, worthy of you respect, worthy of your praise… worthy of your whole life!
1 I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. 2 I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself. 3 You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David my servant, 4 ‘I will establish your line forever and make your throne firm through all generations.’ ” 5 The heavens praise your wonders, Lord, your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones. 6 For who in the skies above can compare with the Lord? Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings? 7 In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared; he is more awesome than all who surround him. 8 Who is like you, Lord God Almighty? You, Lord, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.
Power over evil
Power over evil
28 When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. 29 “What do you want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?”
Strong enough?
Demons know Jesus’ true identity!
Demons associated with Gentile idolatry
17 They sacrificed to false gods, which are not God— gods they had not known, gods that recently appeared, gods your ancestors did not fear.
5 For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. 6 Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and glory are in his sanctuary.
Here, in the Gadarenes, among the Gentriles, it wouldn’t then be surprising to find people plagued by demons, the forces of the underworld.
However, demons among the Israelites, like in Matthew 10:8 “8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.” is surprising, suggesting just how far gone the Israelites really were… allowing idolatry in their midst.
but here, Jesus has the power...
30 Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. 31 The demons begged Jesus, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.” 32 He said to them, “Go!” So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water.
The water, that was about to swallow the disciples whole, receives the pigs, namely the demons… Jesus was sending the demons to where they rightly belonged… the underworld.
And that is their future, their eternity…
10 And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Jesus gives a glimpse of the final judgement, where the devil and all his minions will be tormented ‘day and night for ever and ever.’
Brothers and sisters, do you believe this?
Do you believe that because of the power and authority of the Son, evil will end?
And not only that, but even now, Jesus has the power to defeat evil… to restrain it until his coming again… to clear it out of the way through the proclamation of his gospel? Do you believe it?
Then don’t live as those without hope… The light has broken into the world of darkness and continues to shine… The light, Jesus, calls us his people of the last days to shine in him… to love as he has loved, to proclaim his powerful saving message… because as we do, Jesus advances his kingdom, Jesus beats back the darkness until that final day when it will be no more.
Undercover Boss
Undercover Boss
hearing complaints
witnessing firsthand how the business needs change… process, training, people
From the beginning we have been waiting for the restoration of all things… the chaos of a broken world, the unyielding, ever present and seemingly ever growing evil...
Jesus has the power to change.
Jesus has come to restore all things!
19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
Jesus is our hope in
dark times - war, famine
the storm - cyclone, earthquake…
when evil seems to be too strong… corruption, the ever advancing immoral and anti-Jesus culture
Jesus has the power, he is the strong man… he is our hope
1 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.
So, we trust him, we follow him, we submit to his authority, we proclaim him… because God has determined it is the gospel of Jesus Christ that has power to save.
And we do see his grace… changed lives, strengthened church - Gafcon, standing for the truth of the Word, a growing church…
Christianity is growing rapidly in many parts of the world, particularly in Africa and Asia. Here are the top 10 countries where Christianity is growing the fastest:
Nigeria
China
The Philippines
India
Brazil
Indonesia
Kenya
South Africa
Ethiopia
Tanzania
(https://thewitness.org/where-is-christianity-growing-the-most/)