Lifes Testing Moments

Introduction:

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Passage -

1 Now when Jesus had finished these sayings, he went away from Galilee and entered the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. 2 And large crowds followed him, and he healed them there. 3 And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?” 4 He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, 5 and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? 6 So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” 7 They said to him, “Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?” 8 He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. 9 And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.” 10 The disciples said to him, “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” 11 But he said to them, “Not everyone can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given. 12 For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it.”

2 And large crowds followed him, and he healed them ‹❐ there. ❐›

2 And large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.

3 And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking‶ , “Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?” ″

3 And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?”

4 He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female,

4 [TP He TP] ‹ answered ›, ‶ ‹ “Have you not read › that [TP he who created TP] them [TM from the beginning TM] made them male and female, ″

5 and ‹ said, › ‶ [TP ‘Therefore TP] a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?

5 and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?

6 So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

6 So ‹✕ they are no longer two ✕› but ‹✓ one flesh. ✓› [TP What therefore God has joined together, let not man TP] separate.” ″

7 ‹ They said › to him, ‶ “Why then did [TP Moses TP] command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?” ″

7 They said to him, “Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?”

8 ‹ He said › to them, ‶ “Because of your hardness of heart [TP Moses TP] allowed you to divorce your wives, but [TM from the beginning TM] it was not so.

8 He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.

8 ‹ He said › to them, ‶ “Because of your hardness of heart [TP Moses TP] allowed you to divorce your wives, but [TM from the beginning TM] it was not so.

9 ‹ And I say to you ›: [TP whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, TP] commits adultery ″.”

9 And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.”

10 The disciples ‹ said › to him, ‶ [CD “If such is the case of a man with his wife, CD] it is better not to marry.” ″

10 The disciples said to him, “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.”

10 The disciples ‹ said › to him, ‶ [CD “If such is the case of a man with his wife, CD] it is better not to marry.” ″

11 But [TP he TP] said to them, ‶ ‹✕ “Not everyone can receive ‹ this saying, › ✕› but only ‹✓ those to whom it is given. ✓›

11 But he said to them, “Not everyone can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given.

11 But [TP he TP] said to them, ‶ ‹✕ “Not everyone can receive ‹ this saying, › ✕› but only ‹✓ those to whom it is given. ✓›

12 For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it.”

12 For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. ‹ Let [TP the one who is able to receive TP] this receive › ″ it.”

Segway:

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

If you remember last week we looked at that word “Testing”

There is at least 3 different Greek words that can be translated into our English word “Test.”

The one that was found in 19:3 is the word [Periazo] “to be put to the test.”

More specific: to attempt to entrap through a process of inquiry.

What we walked away with lest week was this understanding that, in life, we are going to be “TESTED.”

To help us better understand what I mean ...... here are some examples of being tested:

You kids getting on your last nerve .....

A co-worker getting on your last nerve .....

Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., Bauer, W., & Gingrich, F. W. (2000). A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature (3rd ed., p. 793). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Getting cut off on the highway .....

Dealing with a check-out person at Walmart ......

Dealing with a customer at Walmart .....

You forgot a bill that needed to be payed .....

Your spouse didn’t remember your anniversary .....

Your favorite Basketball team lost to the Golden State Warriors for the 2nd time in a row .....

Your kids bring home a bad grade on the report card .....

Whether you should stay in this marriage or not .....

All of these vary in degree’s but they are all “Life Test.”

Title of the Message this morning is .... “LIFE’S TESTING MOMENTS”

How do you deal with these test?

How do you process these test?

How do you work through these test and come out on the other side a better person?

I hear, to many times, people saying, “Jesus doesn’t understand what I am going through!”

I am here this morning to tell you “Yes He does understand what you are going through.”

And I have some good news for you today, He has revealed to us, in this pericope, how to deal with these “Life Testing Moments.”

Body:

Let me reveal the setting for you .....

Jesus is being followed by a large group of people (Disciples, followers, seekers, and Pharisees.)

Jesus is doing what Jesus is compelled to do ..... Heal.

Can I just add a point here .... This is what Jesus LONGS to do. Heal you!

Heal you spiritually

Heal you physically

Heal you emotionally

Heal you mentally

If you are in need of a healing today the only thing stopping that healing is you!

Jesus is approached by the Pharisees and asked a question.

This questions was proposed to Jesus not because they were looking for an answer but it was given to get Jesus to trip up in front of this large crowd.

He is being put to the test ..... trying to get him to stumble.

They believed they knew God’s word better.

They believed he was a fraud!

They wanted to expose that to this large group of people who were following Jesus.

Can anyone relate to this? (Someone trying to get you to mess up)

Satan long to get you to mess up.

As a matter of fact, I would be safe to say there are some parent with teenagers who has done this before.

Tried to expose your kids lying to you by asking questions.

My Mom did this to me when I was a teen ......

I told her I was going to a basketball game with some friend!

When I came home she looked pretty upset.

She asked “Where were you?” I replied, “At the game.”

What was the score?

I told her a score and she said you are lying.

She rattled off a score of the HS basketball game.

I informed her I went to the Middle school game.

She asked the question about the game to expose a lie (trip me up).

Have you ever sat your teen down and said, “Now listen, I know what you did so just confess.” not having any idea they did anything? (OKAY, Me NEITHER!)

The Pharisees were trying to get Jesus to stumble. They were putting him through a test.

That is this setting!

Climax:

How Jesus deals with this situation is exactly how we are to deal with these “Life’s Testing Moments.”

Jesus combat’s this testing by .......

1. Revealing God’s Word!

Truth lies in the WORD! (Quote That!)

When asked about this thing of divorce Jesus goes to the WORD!

He doesn’t say, “Well this is how I feel about it!”

And if this is how I feel then it must be the truth!

OR

“This is what I saw on DR Phil the other day.“

“I read the answer in one of Oprah’s book.”

Look at how Jesus deals with the Pharisees ......

He goes to the very beginning of creation: ( - So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.) Look at Vs 4 “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female.”

in the image of God he created him;

And then finishes it off with ( - Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.) (Vs 5 is Verbatim)

male and female he created them.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

If this is how Jesus handled this life’s testing moment, isn’t this how we should handle them?

PAUSE:

The problem I find is that we are living in a culture where the belief that that the Word of God is not looked at as authoritative or truthful as once believed.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

Why are people not believing in God’s Word?

Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations 383 Billy Graham and God’s Word

“I then took the Bible up into the high Sierra Nevada mountains in California. I opened it and got on my knees. I pled, ‘Father I cannot understand many things in this Book. I cannot come intellectually all the way, but I accept it by faith to be authoritative, the inspired Word of the living God!

As a minister of the word of God I am more concerned today than I have ever been when it comes to people and how they view the word of God.

Look at some of these stat’s:

3 out of 4 Christians believe the bible as the Word of God! (75%) Should that not be 100%?

I question the Christianity of the 25% who don’t believe its the Word of God.

Here is why I say that .... - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

If you are doubting, questioning, disbelieving in the word of God then you are doubting, questioning, disbelieving In Jesus.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

24% of American’s (Not specifically Christians) believe the bible is the authoritative Word of God. (Poll taken by Gallup May 2017) (75% don’t)

I believe we need to come to the understanding that Billy Graham did ..... “I then took the Bible up into the high Sierra Nevada mountains in California. I opened it and got on my knees. I pled, ‘Father I cannot understand many things in this Book. I cannot come intellectually all the way, but I accept it by faith to be authoritative, the inspired Word of the living God!

And when we come to this understanding then let’s make our first step, during these “Life Testing Moments,” the WORD!

Jesus combat’s this testing by .......

2. Revealing The Heart!

Look at Verse 8 - He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.

Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume Matthew 19:3–12

But Christ tells them there was a reason for this toleration, not at all for their credit; It was because of the hardness of your hearts, that you were permitted to put away your wives. Moses complained of the people of Israel in his time, that their hearts were hardened (Deu. 9:6; 31:27), hardened against God; this is here meant of their being hardened against their relations; they were generally violent and outrageous, which way soever they took, both in their appetites and in their passions; and therefore if they had not been allowed to put away their wives, when they had conceived a dislike of them, they would have used them cruelly, would have beaten and abused them, and perhaps have murdered them.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

But Christ tells them there was a reason for this toleration, not at all for their credit; It was because of the hardness of your hearts, that you were permitted to put away your wives. Moses complained of the people of Israel in his time, that their hearts were hardened (Deu. 9:6; 31:27), hardened against God; this is here meant of their being hardened against their relations; they were generally violent and outrageous both in their appetites and in their passions; and therefore if they had not been allowed to put away their wives, when they had conceived a dislike of them, they would have used them cruelly, would have beaten and abused them, and perhaps have murdered them.

This is that hardness of the heart.

But at the very beginning it wasn’t so!

So to some degree Jesus is saying to the Pharisees are you like those of Moses Day?

Jesus goes straight to the heart of the matter!

Jesus longed for the heart of man to be as His Heart!

I have been very open and honest with you as a congregation about my life.

You all know that my wife and I have had “discussions” before (in our younger days).

99% of the time those discussion came because we both wanted to be right.

Had discussions”

There was a moment in the “Discussion” when I knew I won ....... When she cried!

That was not a “Gatorade pouring over my head” kind of moment.

It never felt like I won.

It wasn’t until I allowed the Holy Spirit to soften my heart (Remove the hardness of my heart) that I felt like I had the heart of Christ.

So in dealing with Life Testing Moments’ let your heart become like HIS heart.

Jesus combat’s this testing by .......

3. Revealing What is Acceptable!

Look at verse 9 - “And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.”

In understanding this day and time we know that Jesus’ strict commandment is for the betterment of the Wife.

But in all honesty, its was for the betterment of ALL!

I am under the belief that as followers of Christ, we know what is right to do and what is not right to do.

The problem lies in the execution of it!

I bought a Honda 5 speed Manual transmission car once.

I knew I was not suppose to buy it.

I made up all kinds of excuses to buy it.

I even argued until I wore my wife down to buy it.

Bought is for $3500 ended up putting $1500 more in it within the first month.

I knew I should not have bought it, but the execution of that knowledge was terrible.

Conclusion:

So to conclude, Jesus showed us how to combat Life’s Testing Moments!

Revealing God’s Word

Revealing The Heart

Revealing What Is Acceptable

What test are you going through?

Have you gone to God’s word?

Whats God say about it?

Have you allowed you heart to become tended to the situation?

Or has your heart grown hard?

Have you done what is right and pleasing to God?

Let us take a moment and come to the Lord in regards to this testing you are going through.