Sermon Tone Analysis

Last week we saw the beginning of Jesus’ Ministry.

I have to return to that as we get started this morning.

We often think that entering into ministry or service to God in any capacity is going to be filled with such ease and comfort.

We look at teachers and preachers and can think that they have the good life.

They get to read the bible and study everyday.

As we see Jesus enter into His ministry we get a real incite to real ministry.

It is not all easy and in fact for those who are beginning to serve God or who want to be used by God in more ways we should expect some attacks and set-backs.

If I could for a moment elicit your prayers.

Please I ask that you would pray for me and my family.

Not because we are better then you but because we have a specific role and one I believe Satan wants to stop.

I ask you please to pray for us as well as the other leaders here.

We need you to stand next to us in the battle.

Jesus not only shows us that ministry work is going to come with hardships but He shows us that through the power of the Word we can overcome all temptation and struggles.

We can at times forget that we have all we need in order to overcome all things.

We have the power of the Word of God.

Now I am not speaking about us being able to speak it into existence, or some idea that if we speak the word it will fix everything.

I am reminding you that by the power of the word of God we can overcome the evil one.

I cannot but help to think of 1 John:

“In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”

(, NKJV)

“In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”

(, NKJV)

“I have written to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning.

I have written to you, young men, Because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, And you have overcome the wicked one.”

(, NKJV)

Jesus not only shows us that ministry work is going to come with hardships but He shows us that through the power of the Word we can overcome all temptation and struggles.

We can at times forget that we have all we need in order to overcome all things.

We have the power of the Word of God.

Now I am not speaking about us being able to speak it into existence, or some idea that if we speak the word it will fix everything.

I am reminding you that by the power of the word of God we can overcome the evil one.

I cannot but help to think of 1 John:

“I have written to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning.

I have written to you, young men, Because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, And you have overcome the wicked one.”

(, NKJV)

When the word of God is in us we have already overcome the wicked one.

It is finished by His word.

Jesus defeats everyone of these temptations by the power of His word, we need to keep this in mind as we do can do the same.

Now as we enter into out text we see that Jesus is continuing the ministry that John started:

“Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee.” (, NKJV)

“From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”” (, NKJV)

“Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee.” (, NKJV)

Jesus hears that John is placed in prison.

I love that Matthew does not dwell on the prison time of John.

He is focused on the message of the life of Jesus.

He has a very specific task and He stays to it.

Of course this was a sad thing.

John is thrown into prison for honoring God.

Yet Matthew shows that the message of the Gospel of the Lord is not going to be stopped by one man being placed in prison.

The brothers of Joseph though they could stop His message by selling him into slavery.

The leaders in the court of Babolyn thought they could silence Daniel by having the laws changed.

The Jewish leaders thought they could silence the apostles with beatings and threats.

Yet the message of God is not silenced now or ever.

The power of God is greater then any one person or any one ministry.

“From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”” (, NKJV)

I do not want any of us to think that the salvation of anyone is hinged on our proper wording or work of evangelizing.

We are not who saves.

It is only through the word of God and His Spirit that any are saved.

It can be so overwhelming to think we need to do all we can to being that person to Jesus Christ.

When if fact we need to first do all we can to honor Jesus Christ.

We need to live our lives in a way that is about Him first and not about the work.

At times we can get so focused on all that needs to get done that we are overwhelmed with it.

But it is not for us to fix everyone and everything.

We are to just work and live as the Lord leads.

For some our work, or ministries will have the appearance of larger then others.

But the bottom line is that if God is in the work the size it not about Him, it is about the heart of following the calling that He has set on us.

I want us to understand it is not about the visible work it is about the heart that God looks to.

Paul talks about the body of Christ in 1 Corinthians:

“For in fact the body is not one member but many.

If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body?

And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body?

If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing?

If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling?

But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased.

And if they were all one member, where would the body be?

But now indeed there are many members, yet one body.”

(, NKJV)

The Body of God is all needed in order for it to work right.

We may think that one portion of the body is more honorable then another, but who are we to dictate that.

The body of Christ is all needed in order to be most effective.

The reason I say this and remind us of this in light of our text is because the message was not stopped my the strong hand of this world.

Today we may get frustrated with all that is seemingly trying to stop the message of the gospel of Jesus.

But God’s hand and plan are greater then any work here on this earth.

Remember they are all in power not of their doing but by the allowance of the Lord.

We need to be encouraged that we have already one, we are fighting from victory not for victory.

These are very different.

Morgan puts it like this:

Thus it has ever been, and still is.

Evil may silence a voice, but it cannot prevent the proclamation of the Word.

If John is imprisoned, then Jesus takes up the message.”

(Morgan)

As we move

As we continue Matthew also shows us that Jesus preaches this same message of John in fact we read that in the Gospel of John that He continues what John was doing We read this in :

“Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples), He left Judea and departed again to Galilee.” (, NKJV)

1 Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples), 3 He left Judea and departed again to Galilee.

Jesus is clearly continuing the work of John.

Yet in Jesus it was a finished work.

John was pointing to the Messiah who was to come.

Jesus was that Messiah.

I also want to point out what Jesus’ first recorded message was, “Repent”.

Jesus’ first message is repent for the Kingdom of God/heaven is here.