REST FOR THE WICKED
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LAST WEEK
LAST WEEK
We talked about the value of people
We talked about the great confession of faith
We talked about the repercussions of that confession
How our surrounding friendships may change
How their perspective of our decisions may cause division
We also talked about ministering to those in need
How a mere cup of water can represent Jesus.
THIS WEEK
THIS WEEK
We are going to look at what happens when we doubt
We are going to look at what happens when the evidence isn’t enough
We are going to look at the process of trusting God even when we are in the midst of our biggest doubts.
It seems like when we are on the brink of break through
Our doubts are having a field day with us
It seems like when we are about to see God do the miraculous
That our doubts get the best of us
Maybe you have had visions and dreams of what could be
But you’ve lost sight of them and the joy of dreaming big
1 Now it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities.
2 And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples 3 and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”
4 Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: 5 The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 6 And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”
7 As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. 9 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. 10 For this is he of whom it is written:
‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,
Who will prepare Your way before You.’
11 “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14 And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come. 15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
16 “But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, 17 and saying:
‘We played the flute for you,
And you did not dance;
We mourned to you,
And you did not lament.’
18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by her children.”
20 Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent: 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.”
25 At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. 26 Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. 27 All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. 28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
:1-30
PRAY THAT WE WOULD CONTINUE TO DREAM. THAT WE WOULD CONTINUE BELIEVING. THAT WE WOULD NOT GROW WEARY IN DOING GOOD. THAT GOD THE SON WOULD REVEAL TO US THE FATHER
1 Now it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities.
2 And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples 3 and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”
Matthew 11:1:
Jesus finishes commanding the 12 disciples
And He departs to some cities to teach and preach
As he was traveling
John the Baptist catches wind of what has been going on from his prison cell
Word had been getting around of what Jesus was up to
John was curious
He was put in jail for calling people out on their sin
He was excited
This story is outlined in
But it
Where John the Baptist calls our King Herod for sleeping with his sister in law.
But during his imprisonment, you would think that John the Baptist is not only curious of what is going on
But is excited to see the Ministry of Jesus flourish
This curiosity sparked an interest that led to action
John the Baptist sends two of his disciples to go see Jesus
They come up to Jesus and ask a very direct question:
“Are you the Coming One, or do we look for another?”
Literally
“Are you the one is coming”
Are you the one spoken of in
26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
We have blessed you from the house of the Lord.
Let’s take a step back for a second:
We must remember what is already in the past
John the Baptist lept in Elizabeth’s womb when Mary, who was with Child, entered the room
John the Baptist had been preaching Repentance in the wilderness.
John the Baptist had introduced Jesus to both Gentiles and Pharisees
John the Baptist had proclaimed Jesus as
“The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of this world”
John the Baptist was an eye witness to the Transfiguration
John the Baptist had prophesied of the coming baptism through the imparting of the Holy Spirit.
Yet a question still remained:
“Are you the One who we’ve been waiting for?”
How, after all of this evidence, that you have physically encountered
Do questions still arise about who Jesus is?
Why do we doubt the undeniable evidence?
Why do we question the faithfulness of God?
Matthew 11:4-
Church, we must remember the undeniable evidence of God’s Working
We must never forget how God has worked in times past
We must never forget His faithfulness in times of need
We must never believe that He has stopped working
Check out how Jesus responds
4 Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: 5 The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 6 And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”
We must never forget how God has worked in times past
We must never forget His faithfulness in times of need
We must never believe that He has stopped working
Jesus reminds John & His Disciples what He was awaiting during his ministry in the wilderness
He reminds him of all the things that aligned Jesus with the Messiah
In our deepest doubts
In the depths of our cynicism
In the chasm of our jadedness
Even if we find ourselves imprisoned for righteousness
We are reminded by the Gospel
That Jesus is still working
That He is the Coming One
That we shouldn’t look for another
That there isn’t a reason for us to keep searching
Then Jesus turns to his followers:
7 As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. 9 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. 10 For this is he of whom it is written:
‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,
Who will prepare Your way before You.’
11 “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14 And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come. 15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
Matthew 11:7-
Notice how Jesus doesn’t expose the doubt of John
He covers it up with the Undeniable Identity that John was known for
He refocuses the attention of the people TO WHO John was in the eyes of the Father
Jesus reaffirms who John the Baptist was
But with Good
More than a prophet
The Messenger of God
Who prepared the way for Jesus
Takes it one step deeper
He proclaims that there has been none greater than John the Baptist
And balances that statement with the fact that even though John the Baptist is seen as Great in the Kingdom
Those who are least in the Kingdom will be greater than he.
Here is the reality
The Kingdom of Heaven was at hand
And now the Kingdom of Heaven is on the move
It is being laid hold of with power
Whether it is a positive or negative power, we don’t know
People are eager in laying hold of the Promises of God
Prior to John, it was just a wish, it was more of a hope
But know that the Kingdom had come
People are responding
If they are willing to receive it
They must accept the fact that John is that Elijah who was prophesied to come in Malachi 4:5
If you desire the message of the coming King
You must accept the message of the coming Elijah
Who is now present
Who is preaching Repentance
TO THOSE WHO WANT TO LISTEN, LET THEM LISTEN
THOUGH JESUS WANTED THEM TO PAY ATTENTION, HERE IS WHAT WAS REALLY HAPPENING
MATTHEW 11:16-
16 “But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, 17 and saying:
‘We played the flute for you,
And you did not dance;
We mourned to you,
And you did not lament.’
18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by her children.”
This Generation would not receive who Jesus was
They wanted a different Jesus
They wanted a different type of Messiah
One that wouldn’t cause change in their spiritual rhythms
One that let them have their cake and eat it to
It is Like Jesus singing a song of Salvation over them
But they did not want to dance
It is like Jesus was moved with compassion and mourned their spiritual depravity
Yet they would not beat their chest in humility
When John came in humility
Neither eating nor drinking
They called him possessed
When Jesus came eating and drinking
They called him a Glutton and a Wine Bibber
They called him a friend of Tax Collectors and Sinners
Little did they know that what they thought was wise
Would echo in eternity
For wisdom is justified by her children
THIS WAS THE SPIRITUAL CULTURE THAT JESUS WAS IN
THIS IS HOW PEOPLE REACTED TO THE GOOD NEWS
BECAUSE THE GOSPEL DEMANDS A RESPONSE, CHECK OUT WHAT JESUS SAYS TO THE DISOBEDIENT CITIES.
MATTHEW 11:20
20 Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent: 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.”
“WOE TO YOU!”
What does Jesus mean by “Woe to you”?
Literally means
“Alas, How terrible it will be . . .”
Jesus is expressing utter regret for the people of these cities.
This statement combines both warning and compassion
It is both a truth and a hurt that Jesus is communicating
Chorazin
This is the only time this city is mentioned in the entire Bible
However, Jesus states that it too will be held accountable in light of what He did there.
Bethsaida
Was the hometown of Philip, Andrew, and Peter
Imagine if that was your hometown?
Imagine if the town where 25% of your team was from, was held accountable for not responding to the mighty works of God?
Imagine, if you heard the messages, saw the works of God, and chose not to participate?
Jesus goes on to compare Chorazin and Bethsaida with Tyre and Sidon
Two cities in which there was so much wickedness
Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Amos all prophesied against these cities
And Jesus proclaims that these cities would have responded to the good news.
Jesus then focuses on Capernaum
His Headquarters
A city that had a confidence in being known as Jesus’ HQ
But Jesus asks a valid question
Are you really going to be exalted to Heaven
You have some privilege to boast about?
You have some entitlement issues?
Nope. You will be brought down to Hades
In fact, it is more tolerable for Sodom, than it is for you
JESUS COUNTERS THE REALITY OF UNREPENTANCE WITH AN INVITATION
MATTHEW 11:25-
25 At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. 26 Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. 27 All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. 28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
This is a proclamation of the results of the Gospel
The Wise and the Prudent had yet to respond to the Gospel
But it what was those with Child like faith responded.
Even so, this was Good in the sight of the Father
Jesus transitions from the reality of those results to the How
How is it that Jesus knows how God the Father sees the results?
Jesus says:
Everything has been delivered to me by the Father
Up to this point
No one knows the Son, except the Father
No one knows the Father, except the Son
And all those whom the Son wishes to reveal Him to
This is Theology
Jesus then transitions from theological fact to a theological suggestion
If you are tired trying to figure out this Theology stuff
If you are tired searching for the Father
If you are tired of of laboring without a sense of security
If your doubts are having a feel day
If your mind has been trying to figure out all of this God stuff
Jesus says
Come to Me
You who have been laboring
You who are heavy laden
You who are weary and burdened
For I will give you rest
I will exchanged the yoke of heaviness for a yoke that is light
I will teach you how to be gentle and lowly in heart
Your soul will rest in Me
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light
Maybe today, you are overwhelmed