October 17, 2010
Morning Service

Matt. 11:1-15

 

Review:

1.                  After Jesus baptism, Jesus went up on the mountain, and fasted for 40 days.  Then He was tempted by satan, came down off the mount and began His ministry.

2.                  Jesus took His disciples aside, and taught them what is commonly known as the sermon on the mount.  Just about anything you might have questions about is answered in Matt. 5-6-7.

3.                  Coming down off the mount, multitudes began following Him, and He taught them, and healed them all.

4.                  Jesus has now called His 12 Apostles, and they are listed in chapter 10.

5.                  In chapter 10 Jesus instructs the Apostles on what to teach, and what is expected.  At this time He tells them to go only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

6.                  He tells them of the cost of discipleship. Deny self, family, and the world, and take up your cross, and follow Him.

7.                  He concludes chapter 10 by saying, “he who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.  When we put Jesus, and His teachings first in our lives it will bring true meaning to everything else.  Our family, our friends, our jobs, everything will take on a new, and more meaningful place in our lives.

 

Let’s begin with chapter 11 this morning;

 

Mat 11:1-30 KJVR  And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities.  (2)  Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,  (3)  And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? 

• John heard of the works!!  He couldn’t go and check it out for himself, he was in prison.  We are taught to try the spirits to see if they are from God.  John couldn’t go and see for himself, so he sent two of his disciples.
• John’s day is fast coming to an end.  He came on the scene, and did exactly what he was supposed to do, point people to the Lamb of God, and make way for His coming.  His light shined brightly while he was doing this, but now it is time for his light to go out, and the Light of the world must become the only Light we see.
• It is said in Hebrews, “Heb 11:13 KJVR  These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.”
• God allows John to see, and to know that Jesus is the one that is to come, and they need look no farther than Jesus of Nazareth.

(4)  Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and show John again those things which ye do hear and see:  (5)  The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.  (6)  And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

• Luke gives us this account of Jesus in the temple;  Jesus takes the scroll and reads from Isaiah 61 Luk 4:18  The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, Luk 4:19  To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

(7)  And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? 

• A reed shaken in the wind?  Someone that is tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine?  A double minded man?  Someone unsettled in what he believes?

(8)  But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. 

• What went you out to see, a Benny Hinn, someone who lives in a mansion that costs millions.  Drives big fine automobiles, dresses in the finest clothing?

(9)  But what went ye out for to see?

A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.  (10)  For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. 

• More than an Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, more than a prophet.  Some of the greatest men of the Bible. 
• In my words;  “This is my cousin John, greater than them all.  A man God used to introduce me to the world, and now his time is up, and he will soon be killed, in the  prime of life, all for the glory of God.”
• Jesus says that John fulfilled this;  Isa 40:3  The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

(11)  Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 

• It could hardly be thought that of the obscurest and most ignorant Christian that he had clearer views than Isaiah or John; but of the apostles of the Saviour, of the first preachers who were with him and who heard his instructions, it might be said that they had more correct apprehensions than any of the ancient prophets, or than John.
• As the Apostle Paul said;  “I have not shunned to declare unto you the whole councel of God.”
• If we are reading, and listening, we should know more concerning God’s will for mankind, than anyone has ever known.  Bar none.  We live in an age that knowledge is at our finger tips, we only have to search, and we can find the answer.  The Word of God is so delivered today, and is so simple that a fool should not err therein. 

(12)  And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. 

• That is, from the days when John began to preach. It is not known how long this was, but it was not probably more than a year. Our Saviour here simply states a fact. He says there was a great rush or a crowd pressing to hear John. Multitudes went out to hear him, as if they were about to take the kingdom of heaven by force.  So great that even a lot of the Sadducees, and Pharisees, and tax collectors came to be baptized by him.   So, Jesus says, it has continued. Since “the kingdom of heaven,” or “the gospel,” has been preached, there has been a “rush” to it. People have been “earnest” about it; they have come “pressing” to obtain the blessing, as if they would take it by violence. There is allusion here to the manner in which cities were taken in wars. Besiegers “pressed” upon them with violence and demolished the walls. With such “earnestness” and “violence,” he says, people had pressed around him and John since they began to preach. There is no allusion here to the manner in which individual sinners seek salvation, but it is a simple record of the fact that multitudes had thronged around him and John to hear the gospel.
• WHAT TIME IS IT CHURCH?
• God has allowed us more time than He did John.  We have been allowed to witness some of the greatest preaching this church age has ever known.  Such great men as Peter, Paul, Billy Graham, Billy Sunday, Dwight Moody, John, and Charles Wesley, many, many more.  However, we are on the threshold of His coming.  Soon Jesus will be back for His church, those who have prepared themselves for His coming.
• And another good question is, WILL YOU BE READY TO GO WITH HIM?

(13)  For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.  (14)  And if ye will receive it, this is Elijah, which was for to come.  (15)  He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. 

• Listen to Malachi;  Mal 4:5-6 KJVR  Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:  (6)  And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

• Jesus says, “this is who John was.”  He came in the Spirit of Elijah, preaching the kingdom of God.  Turning the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers.
• There has been, and still are those preaching with the Spirit of God on them.  This was the Spirit Elijah had.  The Spirit of God that cries out from the heart of the one who is proclaiming the will of God to mankind.
• Can you ever remember a time when this Spirit of Elijah, the Spirit of God Almighty, has been needed so earnestly?  To turn the hearts of the fathers back toward their children, and the hearts of children back to their fathers. 
• For the fathers to lead their children into a saving knowledge of Christ.  To bring happiness, joy, and love where now the spirit of depression reigns.  And for the children to long for the love, and leadership of a Godly father.   Time is running out, what we do we must do quickly.  God help us!