Sunday Sermon
sunday morning 13th Dec 2009
Mat 1v18-25
The opening of the New testament describes the opening of the final phase of Gods most gracious plan of salvation.
Matthew records the great movements of Israel’s history:
from Abraham to David, from David to Babylon and from Babylon to Christ!!
But all this is covered in just 17 verses.
Then we have 27 further chapters of the story of the Christ.
The story is amazing, astonishing, awesome...... divine.... only God could do this!
Right from the start this is true:
1. the circumstances of the birth of Jesus v18-21,24-25 (how it all happened).
a. Mary and Joseph were engaged.
b. but Mary was found to be pregnant.
c. so Joseph wanted to divorce her quietly – so as to cause her less trouble.
d. but as he thought through his plans an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream.
e. told not to fear but to marry Mary, for her pregnancy had been caused by the Holy Spirit.
f. a son would be born who was to be called Jesus – he will save his people from their sins
· the obedience of Joseph v24-25
a. he takes Mary as his wife.
b. he calls the boy Jesus.
· Note, Matthews portrayal of Joseph:
The birth of Jesus changes Joseph. He moves from fear to faith.
To begin with Mary’s pregnancy was a problem that he had to solve.
He had to get rid of Mary quickly and quietly, all from good motives.
But then Joseph is confronted by a gracious revelation of God!
What was that revelation :
Don’t fear, this is the work of God, Jesus the saviour is going to be born!
Following the revelation Joseph begins even then to bow the knee to Lord Jesus!
He obeys Gods commands: marries Mary and then names the child Jesus!
App
What God wants from each of us is what he wanted from Joseph.
A move from fear to faith.
From devising our own solutions to relying upon Gods.
Perhaps we have troubles that we are trying to figure out by ourselves.
Maybe it is in these very troubles that God is revealing himself?
All that we need to do is trust God!
How? by making sure that our first priority is to do the right thing!
That we desire above all to please God.
Why? Because God is love. He has sent his Saviour, the Christ. What else do we need!?
2. Matthew steps back from the scene v22-23 (why it all happened: A)
In verses 22-23 we see Matthew making comment on the proceedings.
He is stepping back from the scene to give some insight into it. Taking in the wider view.
a. the birth of Jesus was a fulfilment of the Lords word, as spoken by the prophets in Isa7v14
All the events of Mary and Joseph took place in fulfilment of what God had spoken long ago.
Matthew is quick to point this out so that his readers can be encouraged to greater faith.
b. the word was that a Virgin would conceive and give birth to a Son called Immanuel.
Back in Isaiah’s time the full meaning of such a statement would have been impossible to grasp.
But now looking back, the story of Mary giving birth to Jesus is what it’s all about.
App
Matthews stepping back from the scene to gain a wider biblical perspective is how we are to manage all our questions of faith.
Faith needs the whole word of scripture.
Our faith in God as creator, Father, Son, Spirit, Saviour, Lord, Judge .....
All arise because of the revelation of the bible.
Some things we can deduce from nature but nothing in comparison scripture.
Here in this passage we learn that God is the gracious Sovereign planner who promises and fulfils! 680 years after the prophecy of Isaiah the fulfilment happens!!
What a God worthy of all praise.
Are we not then to give much more time and energy over our scripture study, because there we find God!! Are we not simply to love the bible?
3. the names of the Child. V21 & 23. (why it all happened: B)
A. He is was to be called Jesus!
From the Hebrew Joshua, meaning God saves.
Here Joseph is told to call him Jesus because he will save his people from their sins v21.
· Note that it is “his people”.
He will save his people! There is no doubt. They are his, he will save!
They are his people but the sins are their own! “their sins”.
The name ‘Jesus’ tells us why he has come.
It is a name we must treasure, adore, love and worship.
Jesus – his people – their sins!
B. Also he is called Immanuel meaning God with us.
This tells us more. Jesus is not some angel, some mere messenger!
He is God. God with us!
The picture is truly a marvel:
Jesus is God, he has come to save his people, out from their sins!!!
At Christmas time this is what we celebrate: God who came to earth to be with us, to deal with our sin, so that we can be with Him now and forever!
sunday evening 13th Dec 2009
Mat 15v21-28
In this story we have Jesus withdrawing from the crowds, going to the Gentile regions of the area, perhaps to get some rest, when a Canaanite woman comes to him asking for help which she eventually gets.
This is the only mention of a Canaanite in the whole NT!
But what a mention it is, for Jesus praises her as one who has mega faith!
Through this woman we learn what Great Faith is all about:
1. mega faith takes it problems right to Jesus v22.
The woman had a daughter who was in great trouble. She is severely demon possessed.
It seems that the daughter had an unusually bad condition.
So the woman goes right to Jesus.
Note she does not stand on ceremony, she cries out to Him.
And she simply asks for mercy!
app
The first test of faith comes from the situations we are in and how we respond to them.
Great faith goes to God knowing that it can demand mercy!
We go to God today through prayer.
If you want to know if you have faith ask: do I pray!
Is my first response to pray or to panic?
2. mega faith keeps on going despite the silence! V23
Jesus does not respond to this poor woman!
The disciples cannot bare her much longer and ask Jesus to send her away!
Perhaps they had tried to put her off, but had gotten nowhere because she has great faith and will only take Jesus’ word.
App:
Silence is the second test of faith.
Great faith is not discouraged by silence.
In fact silence only inspires great faith to make more noise!
The opposite of this is true also:
If we give up after the first unanswered prayer we have weak faith.
Keep on asking in the silence of unanswered prayer.
God has heard but silence tests our faith.
The silence asks questions of us and our request.
Do we really believe, do we really need help, how important is the thing we are praying for?
3. Great faith accepts the will of God. V24-25
Jesus’ first response is to state that he was sent but only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel!
There is a cost to faith. Faith means accepting God’s plans and purposes.
For this woman she will have to accept that in seeking Jesus she can no longer hold onto her old Canaanitish ways!
It means in fact that she will have to consider herself a part of the house of Israel.
And so great faith weighs up the cost of following Gods will and then still seeks God.
So the woman says: help me!
App:
Great faith accepts the cost and demands of relationship with God.
To ask help from God requires that we are followers of God.
This third test of faith asks have we learned to accept and rejoice in Gods will?
We bring our requests to God and above all we desire that we want to happen what God wants to happen – your will be done!
If we have a divided will, then it shows we are not really trusting God, we really have weak faith!
4. great faith overcomes obstacles in the way v26-27!
Jesus persist in his testing of this woman’s faith.
He has gotten her to see the need of accepting the mission of Jesus.
Of thus bowing the knee to the will of God.
By this point they are in conversation, eye to eye.
Jesus puts another test in the way.
He notes who the Israelites are – the children. And the gentiles are the ‘little dogs’.
Surely it is not right to feed the dog the children’s food!
True the woman acknowledges but even the dogs get crumbs.
Great faith overcomes testing!
App:
The fourth test of faith, tests our knowledge of God – our relationship with God.
Do we really believe that he will give what we have asked for?
There is no such thing as second class citizens in Gods Kingdom. All are children.
Salvation was always meant for the Jews and then through them to the Gentiles.
But often our faith is overcome by the thought that, God will not answer me!
He’ll answer other but no me! We are overcome by a false sense of worthlessness.
The Canaanite woman knew this was not true, so she says with a smile – even the dogs get the crumbs!
She had no doubts about the goodness of God.
5. great faith has its reward v28.
Overcoming all the tests in the end prove it all worthwhile!
The woman is praised for her faith.
Jesus seems amazed at her faith. He exclaims, “O” mega is your faith!
Her daughter is healed that very moment. Her desire is answered.
App
The final test of faith comes at the point of seeing its answers.
God grants the requests of great faith so that our will is done!!
The woman’s wish, her will, was granted.
God’s will and our will come together when there is great faith.
And then requests are granted!
Only where there is this interface between heaven and earth is there great faith.
The encouraging thing is: that great faith is open for us all to have!
So what is great faith:
1) faith that seeks God first. 2) faith that overcomes the silence 3) faith that rejoices in Gods will being done 4) faith that knows God 5) faith that gets real answers!
