November 28, 2010
Morning Service

Matt. 16:1-12

 

Review:

1.                     Last week Jesus told the religious leaders that it was more important to keep the traditions of God, than the traditions of men.  The tradition of men that Jesus was talking about was that of washing your hands before you ate.  The tradition of God that was used was that of honoring, or taking care of your parents when they are old.

2.                  Jesus taught us what defiles the body.  It is what proceeds and comes out of the mouth from the heart, that is what defiles a body.  Not eating with unclean hands.

3.                  Jesus healed a gentile woman’s daughter.  He said it was because of her great faith.

4.                  Jesus healed many at this time, and then closed chapter 15 by miraculously feeding another 4000 plus people.

 

This morning we want to see what chapter 16 holds in store for us:

 

The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would show them a sign from heaven. He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather today: for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times? A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonah.

• First of all these Pharisees, and Sadducees were the two foremost religious partys of the day.  The Pharisees believed in angels, and life after, and the Sadducees didn’t believe either. 
• The same spirits of belief are in the religious world today.  We Christians, or followers of Jesus Christ accept what He teaches concerning these matters.  We have that in the Bible.
• Now first of all Jesus tells them you know how to tell what the weather will be by looking at the sky, but you cannot tell the hour spiritually that you are living in.
• What are some of the things that they should’ve recognized happening?

1.                   They should’ve remembered the prophecy of Moses; (Deu 18:15 KJVR)  “The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;”   They should’ve been looking for this person. 

2.                    They should’ve accepted John Baptist as the forerunner of this Messiah, through the prophecy of Isaiah.  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.

3.                    They should’ve accepted the voice, and miracle at Jesus’ baptism.  ( And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.)  

4.                    They should’ve discerned how God was working miracles through Jesus.  Only a man ordained of God could do such things.  Heal lepers, open the eyes of the blind, raise the dead, healing all manner of diseases. 

5.                    Then after Jesus had been resurrected, and gone away to the heavens, Peter reminded them of this very prophecy from Moses, in his second sermon.  Just after healing the lame man. 

 

(Act 3:22 KJVR)

For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.

 

And likewise Stephen in chapter 7;  Act 7:37 KJVR  This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear.

 

Stephen preaches the longest sermon in the Bible here in chapter 7, just before he is stoned to death.  He told them how rebellious their race had always been with God.  How they rejected Moses, and wanted to go back into Egypt, and now they have rejected God’s Christ.  It got him stoned.

 

This sermon is well worth your time to read.  Stephen gives a brief history lesson of how God has dealt with these people, and how they reacted to God’s will for their lives.

 

 

 

• This is the second time they have ask for a sign.  Probably a different group of men, but Jesus says no sign except that of the prophet Jonah.   And of course we know He meant;  Mat 12:40 KJVR  For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
• I believe situations like this were very hard for Jesus for He knew what God’s plan was for mankind.  He knew that these people were blinded by God, so that all men could receive the gift of God, which is salvation.  Listen to Paul;

Rom 11:25-36 KJVR  For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in.  (26)  And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:  (27)  For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.  (28)  As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes.  (29)  For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.  (30)  For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:  (31)  Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.  (32)  For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.  (33)  O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!  (34)  For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counselor?  (35)  Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?  (36)  For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory forever. Amen.

BUT THIS WAS FOR THEM, WHAT IS OUR LESSON OF DISCERNING THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES?

 

Mat 24:37-39 KJVR  But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.  (38)  For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark,  (39)  And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

 

Peter said;  2Pe 3:3 KJVR  Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,

 

Paul said;  2Ti 3:1-4 KJVR  This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.  (2)  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,  (3)  Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,  (4)  Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

 

IF WE CAN’T SEE ALL THESE THINGS HAPPENING WE ARE AS BLIND AS THE PHARISEES, AND THE SADDUCEES.  

 

And he left them, and departed. And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread. Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread? Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

 

Paul said the law is holy, just, and good.  It was the man made doctrines that were corrupt, and how they interrupted God’s laws. 

 

Joh 14:6 KJVR  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

 

ALMIGHTY GOD, GIVE US A GREATER DESIRE, AND HUNGER FOR YOUR WORD, JESUS OF NAZARETH, YOUR TRULY ONLY BEGOTTEN SON.  AMEN.