MATTHEW

COME–MATTHEW 11:28; REVELATION 22:20

Art Davison MATTHEW 0 Comment
COME
MATTHEW 11:28; REVELATION 22:20
Introduction:

“The cry of the Christian religion is the gentle word, ‘Come.’ The Jewish law harshly said, ‘Go, take heed unto thy steps as to the path in which thou shalt walk. Break the commandments, and thou shalt perish; keep them, and thou shalt live.’” — Charles Haddon Spurgeon

There is here a two-fold cry, “come.” The first is by the Lord as He admonishes to sinner to “come unto me.” The second cry comes from the believer as he suffers the anguish of living in a world without God and his soul cries out for the soon coming of the Lord.

I. THE CRY OF THE LORD, “COME.”

A. The Law drove men before it with commands, Deuteronomy 4:1, “Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers giveth you.”

1. The law could not save you, Galatians 2:16, “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”

2. The law manifested the distance between God and man, Ephesians 2:12, “That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:”

B. God’s mercy admonishes us to “come,” Isaiah 55:3, “Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.”

1. Life is promised.

2. The “sure mercies of David” is the basis of God keeping His word, Psalm 89:28, “My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him.”

C. The Gospel of Christ draws with bands of love, John 6:37, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”

1. The gospel draws the sinner in love, John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

2. The gospel bridges that awful chasm, and brings the sinner across it, Matthew 11:28, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

D. Jesus woos us to come unto Him, Matthew 19:14, “But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”

1. Those who have “thirst” are invited to come, John 7:37-38, “In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. 38He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”

2. Those that have a thirst for “righteousness” are invited to come and be filled, Matthew 5:6, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”

E. He asks why we work for that which does not satisfy, Isaiah 55:2, “Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.”

1. Listen to me, God says, Isaiah 46:12, “Hearken unto me, ye stouthearted, that are far from righteousness:”

2. Listen to me and understand, Mark 7:14, “And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand:”

a. Understand the Word of God, Nehemiah 8:8, “So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.”

b. Understand where you went wrong, Job 6:24, “Teach me, and I will hold my tongue: and cause me to understand wherein I have erred.”

c. Understanding is to be sought, Proverbs 2:4-5, “If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; 5Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.”

II. THE CRY OF THE BELIEVER IS “COME.”
A. You will be longing for His Second Coming, Revelation 22:20, “He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”

B. You will be looking for His Second Coming,

1. You don’t know the hour, Matthew 25:13, “Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.” Mark 13:35, “Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:”

2. He has commanded us to watch, Mark 13:34, “For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.”

CONCLUSION

As the coming of the Lord get closer “you will be panting for nearer and closer communion with him. As his voice to you is ‘Come,’ your response to him will be, ‘Come, Lord, and abide with me. Come, and occupy alone the throne of my heart; reign there without a rival, and consecrate me entirely to thy service.’”

BLESSED ARE THOSE NOT OFFENDED IN ME–MATTHEW 11:1-6

Art Davison MATTHEW 0 Comment
BLESSED ARE THOSE NOT OFFENDED IN ME
MATTHEW 11:1-6


Introduction:


There are blessings to be had in Jesus Christ. It is a pity that so many will not accept Him as the Savior of this world. Here we will look at the situation that the Lord faced among His own people, His own nation; a people without faith in their Messiah.


The same situation exists here today. Men will not believe, not that they cannot, but they will not believe in Christ for salvation.

I. ISN’T THIS THE CARPENTER’S SON?


Matthew 13:55-57, “Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? 56 And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things? 57 And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.”


A. They were scandalized [to cause to stumble] by Him, John 6:42, “And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven?”


B. A prophet is not accepted in his own country, Mark 6:4, “But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.”


C. Jesus could not do a mighty work because of their offence in Him, Mark 6:5-6, “And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. 6 And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.”

II. WOE UNTO THOSE WHO CAUSE OFFENCES?


Matthew 18:7, “Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!”


A. The Pharisees of our days, Matthew 23:13, “But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.”


1. The liberal theologians of our day, Luke 11:52, “Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.”


2. Those who attempt to hinder the preaching of the Word of God today, Acts 4:17-18, “But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name. 18 And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.”


B. Those who lie claiming to know the Lord in order to get gain, 2 Peter 2:3, “And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.”


1. Cursed children, 2 Peter 2:14, “Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:”


2. Those who have forsaken the right way, 2 Peter 2:15, “Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;”

III. ISN’T HE A “STONE OF STUMBLING AND FOR A ROCK OF OFFENCE?”


A. To the Jew a stumbling stone, Isaiah 8:14-15, “And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15 And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.”


1. From the beginning He was spoken against, Luke 2:34, “And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against;”


2. God offered Him as a sanctuary, Psalm 46:1, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”


B. His doctrine was and is TOO STRONG for many, John 6:60-61, “Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? 61 When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? 66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.”

IV. ISN’T IT FOR LACK OF FAITH THAT THEY ARE OFFENDED?


Romans 9:32-33, “Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; 33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.”


A. Without faith…


1. It is impossible to please God, Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”


2. You cannot enter into His rest, Hebrews 3:18-19, “And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? 19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.”


3. The Word will not profit you, Hebrews 4:2, “For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.”


B. With faith the Word brings salvation, Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”

CONCLUSION


Is Jesus an offence to you? Are you ashamed to be known as a Christian? Many in the Lord’s day have a great deal of difficulty with what He taught, as do many in our generation today.


However, Jesus continues to offer the only solution to our sin problem. He is still the Savior of this world. For He says in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

BLESSED (HAPPY)–MATTHEW 5:1-11

Art Davison MATTHEW 0 Comment
BLESSED (HAPPY)
MATTHEW 5:1-11

Introduction:


The word “blessed” appears throughout the Scriptures. It appears 205 times in the Old Testament and 85 times in the New Testament. The word means “HAPPY” and carries with it a sense of confidence and faith.

The Lord willing we will be studying this subject for the next few weeks trusting that the Lord will bless you as you consider how “blessed” you are in the Lord.

I. HAPPY IS THE MAN WHO IS NOT OFFENDED IN JESUS CHRIST.

A. Many are offended (to distrust and desert one whom he ought to trust and obey) in Jesus Christ, Matthew 11:6, “And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.”

B. Jesus’ own people were offended in Him, Matthew 13:54-57a, And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? 55Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? 56And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things? 57And they were offended in him.”

1. Jesus’ own family was offended at Him, John 7:4-5, “For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world. 5For neither did his brethren believe in him.”

2. The religious were offended, Matthew 15:12, Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying? 13But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.

3. Even the disciples were offended (caused to doubt) at the Cross, Matthew 26:31, “Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.”

a. The death of Christ on the cross cause them to doubt.

b. Discouragement dominated the disciples because they did not know the Scripture regarding His resurrection, John 20:9-10, “For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead. 10Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.”

II. HAPPY IS THE MAN WHOSE TRANSGRESSION IS FORGIVEN.

A. Whose sin is covered, Psalm 32:1, “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.”

B. Unto whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, Psalm 32:2, “Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.

III. HAPPY IS THE MAN WHOSE HOPE (expectation, one who waits) IS IN THE LORD.

A. He has the God of heaven as his Help, Psalm 146:5, “Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God:”

B. He is a man who fears (reverence, honour, respect) the Lord, Psalm 128:1, “Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways”

1. He walks in His ways, Psalm 1:1, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.”

2. He honors the Lord, John 5:23, “That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.

CONCLUSION

3. “O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.” Psalm 84:12. To be blessed in this life is a wonderful thing. Many are blessed and all that they can see is how much they don’t have. When you have the Lord, you have all you need for He promises to provide every other need, Philippians 4:19, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

ARE YOU DRESSED FOR THE OCCASION?–MATTHEW 5:1-11, 22:1-14

Art Davison MATTHEW 0 Comment
ARE YOU DRESSED FOR THE OCCASION?
(A follow-up to: “COME TO THE WEDDING FEAST.”)
MATTHEW 5:1-11, 22:1-14

Key verse: vv. 11-12, “And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: 12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.”

Introduction:

The guests continued to pour into the palace, putting on the robes provided by the King, “but THERE WAS ONE among them WHO HATED THE KING, AND HIS SON, and who resolved to come into the festive assembly WITHOUT wearing the ROBE OF GLADNESS, and thus TO SHOW, even in the royal presence, his CONTEMPT for the whole proceedings.” —Spurgeon.

The CUSTOM in the EAST of presenting festival garments even though nor clearly proved, is certainly presupposed here. It undoubtedly means something which they bring NOT OF THEIR OWN—for how could they have any such dress who were GATHERED IN from the HIGHWAYS indiscriminately?—but which they receive as their appropriate dress. —Jamison, Fausset, Brown Commentary.

I. THE GUEST WHO REFUSED THE KINGS ROBE

A. This guest manifested a PROUD, REBELLIOUS disposition, Isaiah 13:11, “And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.”

B. The proud are AGAINST the Lord and His people, Psalms 86:14, “O God, the proud are risen against me, and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul; and have not set thee before them.”

II. THE KING COME TO VIEW THE GUEST

A. He came to look at them as a pleasing spectacle, v. 11; Matthew 6:1, “Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.”

1. The King sees A MAN without a wedding garment.

a. The lack of a wedding garment represents “the old man,” Ephesians 4:22, “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;”

b. The lack of the garment represents the lack of faith in Christ, Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

2. What the King saw in the guest that were appropriately dressed, Ezekiel 16:6-14.

B. His presence is TOLERATED UNTIL a certain solemn moment: WHEN THE KING CAME in to see the guests, vv. 12-13; Zephaniah 1:7, “Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD: for the day of the LORD is at hand: for the LORD hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests. 8 And it shall come to pass in the day of the LORD’S sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king’s children, and all such as are clothed with STRANGE apparel.”

1. The example of the parable of the wheat and tares, Matthew 13:30, “Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.”

2. The tares are the children of the devil, Matthew 13:38, “The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;”

3. The tares are gathered and burned, Matthew 13:40, “As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.”

C. Many are called, but few are chosen, vv. 13-14; Isaiah 45:22, “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.”

1. The CHOSEN are those who receive Jesus Christ as Savior, John 1:12, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that BELIEVE ON HIS NAME:”

2. The ONE without the wedding garment was bond and cast out into outer darkness, v. 13; Matthew 8:12, “But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

CONCLUSION

3. The banquet was probably held in the evening because of the necessity of inviting guest late in the day. The outer darkness is a comparison with the well-lit banquet hall and is a symbol of hell. It demonstrates the fact that without the Robe of Righteous by faith in Christ as Savior, man ends up his life in “outer darkness” without salvation.