Christ shows us that trying to get first place in the Kingdom doesn't work like in this world. In order to be great - you must become a servant.

I. Parable of the Laborers in the Master's Vineyard

\* For - explaining 18:30 - First last/Last First

- hires laborers early middle late day

- denarius - day's wages

- pays the same

- rewards/wages based in the King's generosity

II. Jesus predicts his death and resurrection 3rd time

- geography - nearing Jerusalem

- Ch. 19 - leaving Galilee in Judea

III. The Great in the Kingdom v.20-28

cup

v.25 - Lord it over, exercise authority

Great = servant, slave

low social status, others focused

Christ - model of service, ransom

IV. Jesus heals two blind men v.29-34

- two sitting

- very similar to story in Mt. 8

- geography - Jericho

- Last place - rebuked by crowd

Truth - The Son of Man came to serve, give his life.

- model of greatness.

Application:

Serve others rather than seeking power and authority

Read from:

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®)

© 2001 by Crossway,

a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

All rights reserved.

Christ shows us that true reward comes from having Him alone as our Master. Salvation is impossible with man, but possible with God.

Outline:

I. Divorce, Marriage, & Singleness v.1-12

- context - reconciliation

- Jesus answers the question by pointing to the original design. Genesis 1, 2

- Eunuch - castrated servants for kings

- singleness

II. Children and the Kingdom v.13-15

- Again - God's heart for kids

III. The Rich and the Kingdom of Heaven v.16-30

- great comment in the ESV - rich is the opposite of being a child.

- "Why do you call me good? No one is good" but God

- Being or doing 'good' to enter the Kingdom is impossible with man.

- But with God all things are possible.

- Not saying "try harder" but "change masters"

- Christ winnows.

- Repent

- Window into the future dimension of the Kingdom

- Jesus sit on his glorious throne

- a renewed world

- His 2nd Coming

- the disciples will rule. Alive. Ruling.

Truth - Salvation is impossible with man but possible with God. No one is good but one.

Application:

Follow Jesus.

Read from:

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®)

© 2001 by Crossway,

a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

All rights reserved.

How do you read the Bible? I've broken down personal Bible reading into 4 main steps: Pray, Read, Think, and Do.

God's heart is for children and for the lost. In order to enter his kingdom, you will have to humble yourself like a little child.

Outline:

I. Greatest in the Kingdom v.1-6

- v.4 humbles himself like this child

- humility - teachable, dependent, vulnerable

- judgment on leading children astray

II. Temptations to sin v.7-9

- removing temptations

- \*sin - leads to hell - kills, brings death

III. Parable of the Lost Sheep v.10-14

- the heart of God for the stray, for children, not willing that any should perish.

IV. Dealing with Sin in the Church v.15-20

- goal of restoration

- power of the church in discipline

V. Parable of the Forgiving Servant v.21-35

- the necessity of forgiveness

- x. Eph. 4:32

- tortures - punishment, discipline of God, Satan's influence

Truth: The Father has a heart for the little and the lost.

Application

- Humble Yourself

- Seek restoration from sin - self, with others.

- Forgive.

Read from:

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®)

© 2001 by Crossway,

a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

All rights reserved.

It's not about the amount of faith you have but the focus of your faith. A mustard seed of faith in Christ can move mountains! Keep an ear out for our special guest.

Outline

#### I. Transfiguration

- Christ is God's Son - listen.

- Listen to him - 2 Peter 1:16-18

- singles out His Son

- Elijah - v.9-13 - Malachi 4:5-6

#### II. The Epileptic - Faith to Move Mountains v.14-21

- unbelieving - doubt

- Faithless generation - his disciples - speaking to that culture

- given authority

- Faith - "little faith" - faith as a mustard seed

- Truth faith is trust or reliance on Christ

- its not the power of faith but the object - Because God is strong - a little faith in him is enough.

- Nothing will be impossible for you.

#### III. Jesus foretells his death and resurrection

- God repeats stuff

#### IV. The Tax v.24-27

- annual census

- over 20 years old

#### Truth:

This is My Beloved Son

#### Application:

- Listen to Christ

- Believe - the power of the smallest amount of faith

- Focus your faith on Jesus

Jesus shows us what it means to follow him: Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow. Lay aside the mindset of men and take up the mindset of God.

Notes and Outline

Matthew has a lot of stories or blocks of teaching that seem to function like a Mosaic. Mosaics are an art-form using bits of rocks, tile, or bits of glass cemented to form a picture. Matthew seems to use blocks of stories and teachings that together form a picture of who Jesus is. They also show what it means to follow him. In these segments of teaching we often see stories that illustrate Christ, or illustrate some aspect of discipleship - what it means to follow him.

*Jesus rebukes the mindset of men*, and gives us a new mindset - the cross mindset. This is the mindset of a disciple.

#### I. He rebukes the pharisees/sadducees

- ask for a sign

- Jesus rebukes their lack of discerning the signs givens, and repeats the sign of Jonah, which would be his death, burial, and resurrection.

#### II. Rebukes disciples for their lack of understanding

- Oh you of little faith...do you not yet perceive?

- the connection of faith and understanding

- understanding the things of God has more to do with revelation and faith than intelligence.

#### III. Peter has a revelation

- You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God

- Christ points out that God the Father revealed that to him.

- \Peter - Rock. Paul later would recognize Peter, James and John to be pillars in the church... Paul comments the church in Ephesians is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ being the cornerstone.

KEY MOMENT- Jesus predicts his death and resurrection in Jerusalem.

- Peter rebukes him!

- So Jesus rebukes Peter! He addresses Satan himself - who seemed to be speaking through Peter. Mindset on the things of man vs. God.

*then Christ gives the disciple's mindset -*

#### IV. Christ's call to take up our cross

- self-denial

- embracing a death of self

- giving up your life in order to gain life

- opposite of man's mindset

- value your soul above all esle.

- *Jesus is teaching us to have the long view - life after death. Man's mindset focuses on the moment - Jesus focuses on living for eternity.*

- Why?

- Because v.27

- v.28 - mysterious verse, toughy

- some think its the transfiguration - seeing Jesus' glory

- some see it as the resurrection or some historical event in early church

- My best guess is its referring to the 2nd coming of Christ - which is in the future. the Apostle John had a vision of Jesus coming - he wrote it down... its the last book of the Bible - revelation.

- The point is that the Coming of the Kingdom is very real - and we need to live in light of that kingdom... not merely for what feels good in the moment.

#### Truth -

Jesus came to do the will of the Father, and that is to suffer, die, and be raised from the dead. It is the mindset of God, not men.

#### Application

- Jesus used these verses to call me to follow him - I resisted for a few years.... I was afraid. If I give my life to God...what would it mean? What would God do? will I have to die? But Jesus said it was worth it.

- Will you follow Christ? It requires a death of self, taking up your cross... its bleak at first - the way of discipleship

- But its gains are eternal - valuing the Kingdom of God, which lasts forever rather than the present moment.

Read from:

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®)

© 2001 by Crossway,

a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

All rights reserved.

## Matthew 15: Crumbs and Bread - Jan 21 - Tue

#### I. Tradition vs. the Commands of God v.1-20

- v.1-9

- v.10-20 - what comes from the heart defiles

- Fallen condition - tendency to focus on outward religion rather than inward love.

#### II. The Canaanite Woman v.21-28

- Jesus didn't answer

- 1. I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel

- 2. Not right children's bread - \*dogs

- Great is your Faith

#### III. Jesus heals many, feeds 4k v.32-39

- glorified the God of Israel

#### Truth -

God prioritized Israel as his chosen nation, but has a heart for all the nations! He honors the faith of the Gentiles

#### Application

- FCF - what comes from the heart defiles

- Inward righteousness vs. Outward religion

- Heed the Commands of God above tradition

Read from:

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®)

© 2001 by Crossway,

a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

All rights reserved.

## Matthew 14: Jesus Walks on Water

4 segments

#### I. Herod beheads John the Baptist

#### II. Jesus feeds 5,000

- Jesus withdraws to desolate (wilderness) places

- Note Christ's compassion

- call back to God giving his people bread and meat in the wilderness

#### III. Jesus walks on water

- IVP BBC - while OT prophets perform water miracles, only God is described as treading on the sea (Job 9:8)

- Level up from chapter 8

- They worship Him as the Son of God

#### IV. Christ continues to heal.

#### Truth:

- Christ's Compassion to heal and feed

- Christ as the Son of God who feeds in the wilderness and walks on the waters

#### Application

- Christ desires to work through his disciples to reach the World

- "You give them something to eat"

- What Christ commands he empowers

- commands Peter to come

- This requires faith - to keep your eyes on Jesus

- Worship Christ as the Son of God

Read from:

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®)

© 2001 by Crossway,

a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

All rights reserved.

Got a question for you...

Do you have ears to hear? Christ reveals the secrets of His Kingdom to his disciples.

## Matthew 13 - The Parables

*3rd Discourse of Teaching*

Structure - begins with a parable, then speaks of its hiddenness from the crowd and but reveals its secrets to his disciples.

#### I. the Parables v.1-9

- \* parable - is an analogy, a symbolic story or picture meant to convey a truth. The parables are about the kingdom of heaven/God.- "The Kingdom of heaven may be compared to... Or the Kingdom of Heaven is like..." Each parable reveals a dimension or principle of the Kingdom, and there is a progression to them.

- 2 dimensions, the human heart, and the world and the judgment.

- 2 principles - growth and value.

###### 2. Why Jesus speaks in parables

x. Isaiah 6:9-10 - Parables hide the meaning for those who don't follow Christ.

- But Christ unlocks the secrets of the Kingdom of heaven to his disciples, but the meaning is hidden from crowds.

- [ ] Fan or a Follower?

- [ ] God gives understanding to his disciples

###### 3. Parable of Sower explained v.18-23

- The Seed is the Word of the Kingdom

- The soil is the human heart and there are different heart conditions.

- path - doesn't sink in, don't understand... Satan steals it

- Rocky soil - receives it with joy but isn't rooted down when hardship comes

- persecution and troubles arises on account of the Word

- thorns - cares of the world, deceitfulness of riches choke the world, it proves unfruitful.

- good soil - hears and understand. bears fruit.

- - \* key is understanding - which is something that God gives.

#### II. Parable of the Weeds explained

- the soils of the hearts of humanity make up the field which is the entire world.

- two kinds of plants growing - wheat and weeds. \* weed - tares - a false wheat look a like, but fully mature is black instead of golden.

- Jesus plants the Sons of the Kingdom into the world. Satan plants the weed

- Until the Harvest time, or judgment - when he will separate the wheat from the weeds.

#### III. Parables that shows Kingdom principles

- Principle of growth - mustard seed and the leaven or yeast

- Principle of value - the Kingdom is worth all you have!

#### IV. Exhorts the Scribes of the Kingdom of God to share these things - treasures new and old.

#### V. Christ ironically rejected at Nazareth v.53-58

**Truth - Summary** - so we see that the Kingdom of Heaven starts small, as a message sown into the human heart by Christ. To those who have understanding, it grows to bear fruit. Jesus then sows these Sons of the Kingdom into the world. The enemy also sows his sons into the world. The Kingdom, while starting small, grows to its fullness, until finally, at the time of maturity, the time of judgment comes, where Christ separates the righteous from the wicked. The Righteous remain in His Kingdom and shine like the sun while the wicked are thrown into the fiery furnace.

**Applications -**

- [ ] He who has ears, let him hear.

- [ ] Ask Christ to give understanding of the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven. - the Disciples even ask him to explain.

- [ ] Value the Kingdom above all - surrender all to possess the Kingdom - the answer to the soils - the rocky soil, or the thorns.

- Paul - "For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them rubbish in order that I may gain Christ."

Read from:

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®)

© 2001 by Crossway,

a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

All rights reserved.