Matthew
The Gospel of Matthew
Matthew 28 vs 1-20
August 27, 2017 • Pastor Matt Korniotes
Matthew Chapter 28 Verses 1 – 2 • Mark tells us that they were bringing spices to anoint the body, why? Because no doubt Jesus had been prepared for burial in a hurry due to the Passover and because of the quickly approaching Sabbath, and so they went to finish the job (if you will). But Mark also tells us that as they went, they said among themselves, “Who will roll away the stone?” They have a real problem in that statement! • It’s estimated that the stone used to seal the tomb weighed a couple tons! Certainly too big for the Mary’s to displace! I mean, I suppose they could have been body builders! Working that crossfit there in the temple gym…but even if they were buff, that boulder wasn’t budging! That’s not all though. Matthew told us in the last chapter that the tomb was sealed…so not only who is going to have the strength to move the stone, but who is going to have the insanity to break the seal!? That would mean certain condemnation by the Roman and the Jewish authorities (who by the way are definitely still there guarding the tomb! – I mean, this IS the third day!). • What’s my point? Crazy obstructions, disincentives, interference! But get this, they’re discussing it on their way! And note this, they’ve gathered spices…they’ve bought them…they’re invested…and they’ve risen early and they’re carrying those spices…they’re putting in work! This is the point that I’m getting to…we read the Word and we hear clearly the direction of God…often contrary to our reason and even our own expectations…BUT…that stone is not their responsibility. Neither is the seal…and neither is the Roman Guard…their only responsibility is to get to Jesus! • When we went through Mark I made this statement and I’m just as thrilled to make it again today, faith is often the denial of senses, sight and sentiment (emotions) for the sake of scripture! Every awesomely miraculous thing in your life or ministry or break through in your marriage or work or whatever will come with this kind of hope in faith…that in order to get to the Lord, man the path seems to be so very difficult…go…you may just find the rock rolled away, the seal removed and the guard passive and paralyzed…and perhaps even an angel waiting for you (then your only problem will be, “how do you talk to an angel!?” HA!) • One last thing here, never under estimate the importance and power of simply being there. The ministry of presence! Look at what God does just because these chose to be there!! So very important… Matthew Chapter 28 Verses 3 – 8 • One simple question I have for you. A question I love to ask and the answer I LOVE to teach…Who raised Jesus from the dead? God? Jesus Himself? The Holy Spirit? If you answered any of those then you know what? You’re right! The Holy and Eternal and Mysterious Trinity…the Godhead Three in One is expressed explicitly in the resurrection of Jesus Christ! • Want to see?… this is so cool! God raised Jesus from the dead! Acts Chapter 13 Verses 29 and 30 say, “Now when they had fulfilled all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the tree and laid Him in a tomb. But God raised Him from the dead.” • Ok, hold that truth and look at this…Romans Chapter 8 Verses 10 and 11 say, “And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” So the Holy Spirit raised Jesus from the dead! • Let’s complete the picture – because indeed the Bible is clear…Jesus raised Himself from the dead! John 2:19, Jesus said, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up!” And in John Chapter 10 verses 17 and 18 Jesus said, “My Father loves Me because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again!” • And so how is it that Jesus raised Himself, yet God raised Him, yet the Holy Spirit raised Him? Because indeed they are all One God! A clear and awesome testimony of the Trinity in the resurrection that I wanted to show to you! Mark it down, remember it! Matthew Chapter 28 Verses 9 – 10 • Notice these women immediately, their response to Jesus, seeing Him after He was dead and now is alive again…their response is to worship Him! That is it, man! Your response to meeting Jesus is not to now be right in every argument or to take up your sword and defend Him…that’s an un-risen Jesus! (Like Peter in the garden!) The natural response isn’t to harden or close down or whatever…the natural response if you’ve truly encountered Jesus ALIVE is WORSHIP! • And this is so cool…An hour ago they were walking in the thought that everything was lost…Jesus is dead…now they are filled with awe, joy and worship because they know everything is gained because Jesus is alive! • Continue the scene – watch this! Jesus receives their worship…and His response is legend! You’re with Me now…no more fear…Go, and tell My brethren! Never before, throughout all 28 chapters, had Jesus referred to His disciples as His brethren…they’d always been His children, His creation, His friends, His disciples…but now, because of what Jesus has done, we share in the very eternal inheritance of the Son of God…being hidden in Him…, (and what grace is this! You’d think they would expect rebuke!). One other cool revelation… • Back in Matthew Chapter 25 Jesus said in verse 40, “In that day the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’” This statement by Jesus to these women…go and tell My brethren…the King has come and in that the Kingdom has come! Matthew Chapter 28 Verses 11 – 15 • So let me get this straight…while you were asleep, you saw the disciples come and steal the body? Hmmmm. Any of you remember what happened last night while you were asleep? Matthew Chapter 28 Verses 16 – 17 • Matthew doesn’t give us the account of Thomas in that Jesus welcomed him to physically experience the wound left from the spear that pierced through His heart and the punctures left from the nails in His hands…and so that could be what he is referring to here but the word in the Greek is interesting. Its distazo…this isn’t a doubt of unbelief necessarily but rather of unfamiliarity! • Thomas or even some of the other disciples felt distant (distazo) in a way…this was so different…this was so brand-new…the implications of the whole scene were intensely overwhelming! What does all of this mean? And so the disciples, even those closest to Jesus, in the midst of worship…listen it can feel distant that God has given His grace…it’s not deserved, you haven’t earned it, you can’t walk into worthiness for it…you just simply receive! Matthew Chapter 28 Verses 18 – 20 • All power has been given to Me in heaven and on earth…such an anemic translation…look at the Greek in your own time…What Jesus says is what was due to Me has been delivered…Death has bowed, the Law has acknowledged, the enemy has been defeated and sin has surrendered…it is finished…therefore…go (you don’t need power or authority…I have all of that…your only responsibility…go) and make disciples. • How? How did Jesus make disciples? Baptizing them? He baptized no one…How did He make disciples then…? Loving them and teaching them the truth. Remember that disciples are made…they’re not spontaneous… And when you love His people like He loves them…well, that’s when I’m most catching up to Him…that’s when I see Him the most clearly…as He promised…I am with you always!
Matthew 27 vs 52-66
August 20, 2017 • Pastor Matt Korniotes
Matthew Chapter 27 Verses 51 – 53 • Certainly one of the strangest couple of statements in all of scripture. We don’t really know anything more about this event because no one else mentions it at all. Not any other Gospel, not Paul, not Jude (even in the midst of the creepy stuff he talks about)! So all we can do is take it at face value and move on. Matthew Chapter 27 Verses 54 – 61 • I love this squad, this cast of characters. First, we have Matthew talking about a totally spooky scene…that the dead somehow come out of the graves…and although the timing of that is at the resurrection (which hasn’t happened yet), that eerie account actually goes well with this squad. Why? Because the rough and hardened soldier, the centurion comes to life. He joins women like Mary Magdalene, the formerly demon-possessed woman who followed Jesus from Galilee. Joseph of Arimathea… • According to Luke Chapter 23 he was a member of the Sanhedrin, the group who called for Jesus’ crucifixion AND he was a very wealthy man…hold that thought. His buddy Nicodemus, confused and confrontational, conflicted and cowardly, coming to Jesus under the cover of night so as to not be discovered in John Chapter 3…Jesus had repaired all of them! • Restored them all, settled all of them and in that peace and power, they are now all one association. It is amazing, simply amazing, that the power of the touch of Jesus on a heart will always manifest itself in people of all different types, backgrounds and bents becoming family. Gentile killer (the centurion), demon-possessed prostitute (Mary Magdalene), harsh religious elitist (Joseph of Arimathea) and even the fearful (Nicodemus)… • The body of Christ, like the body of Christ actually being the body, should be unifying! Look at this cast of characters! Proverbs 6 talks about things the Lord hates and among the list is one who sows discord among brethren. Do you think a week before the cross Joseph of Arimathea would have been anywhere near Mary Magdalene? But now they are rallied around what Jesus has done! • Divisiveness, negativity, ill will, insult and all the like is not permissible within the body of Christ. That’s just all there is to it. But know this…it is SO easy. You know what’s hard? Unifying…gluing…bringing crazy different freaky and fault-ful people together…but here’s the shocker, each of you has the ability, capability and power to do it…what you lack is the worship! • Here’s your task, starting tomorrow because I can bet that many can’t start today…because it’s already happened…but do this tomorrow…say nothing negative, nothing…, “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” (Oh church, have we forgotten that commandment? That love thy neighbor thing, yea I really meant that! HA!) And at the end of the day, put a little mark somewhere, perhaps on your fridge to show you did it…and then do it the next day and the next…in no time at all you know what will change drastically? YOU! • Your attitude, your mood, your mannerisms, your heart, man…if you’re not imparting grace then you are DEPARTING it when you divide the body…and division of the body begins in the abundance of our dark hearts and our mouths simply sell us out! • A story is told of a couple in marriage counseling and after months of session after session they just were getting nowhere…they just couldn’t see past each other’s shortcomings. It was so seemingly hopeless that they were heading for a split. And so the pastor told them look, one last thing to try, for the next 2 weeks I want you both to complement each other every day and for the next 2 weeks I want you to not say anything negative in front of or about each other. • Sincerely do this…they agreed and he sent them away…they never returned…they killed each other…HA! NO just kidding…they never returned to counseling! Their hearts slowly changed…healed…got back in line with the heart of God who said “Father, forgive them! They are SO in sin but they are SO in need!” Their hearts changed, their faces changed, their affections changed…and it all began with attacking their own divisive hearts! If you are divisive, defensive, negative, critical and condescending…that ain’t Jesus in you…He brings all kinds of creeps into communication and companionship and complete peace!! • Back to the scene. Jesus is buried and He is buried by Josepth of Arimathea, a rich man. Can you be wealthy and be a disciple of Jesus Christ? Absolutely! And here’s the thing…this guy wasn’t just wealthy, he was crazy rich! He had a tomb carved out of the side of a mountain! I mean, talk about a non-essential! BUT, notice when it came to the Lord, he gave it to Jesus! If you have a lot, if you are wealthy, is that a good thing? Well, is it yours or is it His? Ultimately rich or poor, a lot or a little, no difference to the Lord…I mean come on…you’re either filthy rich or dirt poor, HA! Pretty much the same thing…but do you honor the Lord with what you have…that’s the real question. Matthew Chapter 27 Verses 62 – 63 • Isn’t that just interesting!? Back in Chapter 26, the false accusations against Jesus, one of them was that He would destroy the temple of God and build it again in three days…and they all looked at Him sideways and ridiculed Him…well here it is…they knew the whole time what He was saying. Isn’t that just interesting…folks can hear, they can even understand, but the truth is, they choose not to believe Jesus…is that your heart towards Jesus? To you, is He just a deceiver!? WOW… • And notice this…look at their statement to Pilate…, “Sir, we remember, while He was still alive…” What does that mean? He is dead. That’s important because there are numerous heretical thoughts out there including what’s called the “Swoon Theory” that ultimately attempt to explain away the resurrection…but listen, without the resurrection then all is lost…and the truth of the account is that even the enemies of Jesus admitted, stated, witnessed Him dead… • A funny letter was written to a Christian Magazine on this topic…Dear Eutychus: Our preacher said on Easter, that Jesus just swooned on the cross and that the disciples nursed Him back to health. What do you think? Sincerely, Bewildered • Dear Bewildered: Beat your preacher with a cat-of-nine-tails with 39 heavy strokes, nail him to a cross; hang him in the sun for 6 hours; run a spear through his heart; embalm him; put him in an airless tomb for 36 hours and see what happens. Sincerely, Eutychus. HA!! Matthew Chapter 27 Verse 64 • They’re not afraid of the disciples! They had all scattered. They’re not afraid of the body of Jesus being stolen! If the body was stolen and the disciples began to proclaim that He had risen from the dead, what are they going to do? Prop Him up with strings Weekend at Bernie style!? Leave Him hidden!? No one would believe them! • He is risen? Where is He then? What they were really afraid of is what if Jesus is the Truth!? They were really afraid of Him doing exactly what He said He would do…and that fear…which is still prevalent today…there is no quenching it…seal all you want…guard all you want…If Jesus is the Savior then there’s nothing that can stop Him from fulfilling His Word! Matthew Chapter 27 Verses 65 – 66 • This isn’t Pilate sending them away empty handed…this is him giving them a guard…they did have a way to guard the tomb themselves and they wouldn’t need permission for that…they wanted a Roman guard…the threat of death…and they got it…which, in the end, served to only make that much more certain that God raised Himself from the grave! The tomb was so well guarded that it can be certain that the body wasn’t simply stolen…way to go chief priests…thank you! HA! • And I love this…the stone speaks of a material obstacle…the seal speaks of a personal obstacle…the guard speaks of a societal, governmental obstacle…but nothing, nothing can contain or constrict the power of the Lord!
Matthew 27 vs 45-51
August 13, 2017 • Pastor Matt Korniotes
Matthew Chapter 27 Verses 45 – 46 • We know from Mark Chapter 15 that Jesus was crucified around 9am. The sixth hour would be noon and so in total, Jesus was on the cross for 6 hours, from 9am to 3pm. Now, from 12pm noon (the sixth hour) to 3pm (the ninth hour) there was darkness over all the land. The word in the Greek for “darkenss” is skotos and it means darkness of night or darkness of sight. This is interesting…I’ve said this before and I continue to find this to be even more true Bible study time after Bible study time again…I think we, I, us, men, women, in totality have only begun to see and understand what happened at the cross of Calvary. • Hold the thought of darkness of blindness just for a moment…for three hours, the earth, in the Greek – the entire earth – lay under complete, spiritual and physical blindness…and at the ninth hour (3pm), Jesus cries out with a loud voice, “My God, My God.” Never before had He referred to the Father as “My God.” It was always, “Abba,” or Father…Daddy…but here, in this thickness of darkness, Jesus erupts…after three hours of silence…three hours of darkness…a voice is heard of a Son that is lost. What on earth happened? What in heaven happened? • John Chapter 1 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” In the arche the beginning without beginning…the infinite, the eternal now…always was…always was this way…the Word, the Logos, the Word that became flesh, Jesus the Son was with God, God the Father and the Word WAS God. Somehow One. Somehow there is and was distinction of Personhood and yet at the same time, Oneness of unity. Always was this way, from the beginning without beginning. • And the Word, still in perfect unity with the Father, became flesh and dwelt among men. Perfect Son and Perfect Father in Perfect Oneness just as had been ever since ever…but Jesus had a job to do. For the Father so loved the world that He sent His only Son to secure for His creation, salvation unto eternal life. To lead the coup against sin, man’s ever present patriarch and to overthrow the power of sin, the right and reign of sin….which is death. • 2 Corinthians 5:21 says that this Perfect Son, this Jesus the Christ of creation, “For our sake He who knew no sin was made to be sin, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” And so the weight, the whole, the consummation, the complete kingdom of sin was present at the cross as Jesus faced the penalty of sin…death…and yet was without sin Himself. The substance of sin met face to face with the glory of God, (check this out, man) hidden from the eyes of man as darkness was upon the earth and as Jesus accepted the penalty of sin, in that acceptance, He accepted the responsibly, the liability, the culpability, the ownership for every sin as well…He who knew no sin, became sin. • And He cries out for the first time in all of eternity, never before anything like this from the arche and never again will there ever be…He cries out in the greatest of loss…, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” What happened? Jesus was forsaken. Why? Psalm 22, begins with this prophetic proclamation, and goes on to say, “It is because You are holy,” and Habakkuk 1:13 and Isaiah 59:1 both announce, “You of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look on wickedness.” • Darkness fell upon all the earth. Blindness. Here is a depth of glimpse perhaps further today than before at that cross on the hillside. All men forsook Him. All men, all women, all creation, all the earth, covered with darkness of blindness. Jesus disappeared, He became nothing to all of creation…and for a moment in time, as sin charged the very heart of the Savior and the confrontational convergence caused even the earth to quake, the Father in complete and undefiled holiness, withdrew Himself from His Son and Jesus became nothing to all of heaven and nothing to His Father. Never before and never will there be someone so alone in all of eternity…and Jesus is broken. Matthew Chapter 27 Verses 47 – 50 • Jesus made seven statements while on the cross. “Father forgive them, for they know now what they do.” “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in paradise.” “Woman, behold your son! Behold your mother.” “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” “I thirst.” “It is finished!” “Father, into Your hands I commit My Spirit.” • Matthew gives us only one statement and its crazy, some of those who stood there thought He was calling for Elijah!? What He did was quote Psalm 22. What He said was Eloi Eloi, not Elijah, Elijah…but some standing by never get past one word…I mean He said, “Why have You forsaken Me?” Not, “Come to save Me!” So they get the message all wrong. They miss the meaning completely. They miss everything really! • Maybe for some but not for me and man I pray not for you either, this simply will not do. There are so many talking heads out there and especially in the “church” that have position or power or some sort of jurisdictional force because of their name and I respect that, they’ve been running this race, but one word from Jesus? Half heard. Can’t do it man. I’m going in. I am going in to see Jesus, myself. And here’s the thing…the dangerous thing in that…I’ve got to have the non-stupidity to do it comprehensively and thoroughly. • God help our younger generations and any folks for that matter who have been disenchanted with the church or organized fellowship and so they take it upon themselves to doctrinally go it alone…WAY MORE WORK…no direction, guidance, authority or corrector in their lives? They have to put in work or they will be tossed around by all sorts of half truths and junk theology…and end up graceless…most likely towards the Body of Christ…no NEED to say, “Father forgive them…” • Many end up holiless! (New word!) Their lives won’t resemble paradise as promised by Jesus in John 10, caring for themselves intensely because man they’re just always trying to recover…feeling forsaken at times…thirsting…and never coming to the peace that is there when sin is finished and living in the constant spiritual presence of God because you’re actually like Jesus but, “oh man that’s just legalism,”…that statement is a mess…one word won’t do…I’m going in…I’m going thoroughly after every word! • And you know what I’ve found? That love does win. Love is everything and all of God. And I’ve found that THAT love is only found in relationship…a relationship that I have a part in and my part is humility and brokenness. Believing from WITHIN Jesus. • So are the reformed folks right? No. Are the legalists right? No. Are the bad pastors and bad churches right? No. Are the good churches and good pastors right? No. There is no one right, not one upon this earth. Jesus alone is right. But love is His way. Forsaking of Himself is His path and passage. Love and courage and honesty and humility is His and the truth. And believing from within Him, thoroughly going in is where there is life! So many live and stake their claim on one word…just like these around Jesus…but you heard wrong… Matthew Chapter 27 Verse 51 • Can you imagine the priests and the people in the temple that day? No one could see or go behind the veil or they’d be goners…only once a year could the high priest go alone and that was a gamble! Now the veil rips and they are essentially in! There is no room separation anymore! They see it all! Terror must have flooded their hearts…then after a moment or two…, “Hey, we’re not dead!” And perhaps a few moments later…well, there’s really no reason now for the high priest to do his thing again…we’re all in now…It’s like it’s finished…the covering of sin…the lawful appeasing of God year after year…what now then? • Everything else pauses, all talking heads muted, time for everything to stop…no more figuring out, no more condemnation of self, no more exaltation of self, no more darkness, no more thirst, no more trying to recover, no more feeling forsaken…press stop on all that noise…it’s all finished because of Jesus…and you, you’re welcomed, acceptable, adequate, admissible…so…go in. You’re world may shake and the rocks you’ve set up as foundational stones may split…so be it…that’s a good thing…what if you heard wrong? • In a moment, on the cross, God the Father went from Dad (Abba) to God for Jesus so that for all of eternity, He could go from God to Abba (Dad/Father) for you…
Matthew 27 vs 27-44
July 30, 2017 • Pastor Matt Korniotes
Matthew Chapter 27 Verses 27 – 31 • Truly the depth of depravity of creation is felt by Jesus. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 5:21, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” What’s done to Him is awful. He’s been scourged…so Jesus is unbelievably wounded…and yet a Garrison gathers…only four soldiers or so would be required to prepare Him for crucifixion, but Matthew says a Garrison gathered around Him…many joined in on this…and here is the depth of depravity > none of them chose to see the innocence of Jesus…none of them cried out for mercy… • None of them considered that He was just like them…a Man…none of them brought to mind that He was once a child, little and innocent. None of them considered His intense hurt or His intense need. None of them cared for His tears, or for His pain, or for His state of such great loss…I mean on display, right now, happening to Jesus…is the full brunt of the brutally blackness of heart that has become of man because of sin… • Just a few weeks ago in Florida, this same numb brutality appeared in that a group of teenagers laughed and filmed with their phones as a man, Jamal Dunn (31), drowned…the video is ultra-disturbing…his body being found days later… • They stripped Jesus and put a scarlet robe on Him. Kings and rulers wore this color because at that time it was very expensive…this was meant to be some sort of cruel irony…and Jesus looks down at His mangled skin that He wrapped Himself in and sees the scarlet…reminding Him of the offering required by man to bring to the sanctuary of God in Exodus 25, the thread used to make the tabernacle, the veil, the screen opening to the tabernacle, the breastplate of righteousness, the garments of ministry (Exodus 25, 26, 27 and 39). • The Book of Leviticus speaks of scarlet being required as well as cedar wood and hyssop to cleanse a person or a home…He would think of Rahab who flew the scarlet cord in her window for the salvation of her family…all of these things would rush into His mind as they mocked Him with this color…and His own words would ring still true in this moment, “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow,” (Isaiah 1:18) • And so He accepts and embraces the display of the true condition of man…hopeless brutality…and they twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head…thorns which were not there from the beginning…only fruit and vines and creation profitable to us…but out of the ground came thorns after Adam sinned… • And a reed they placed in His hand…kings hold scepters…instruments of great beauty and authority but a thin, week reed is given to Jesus to mock Him…to declare to Him that He is powerless…and then they bowed. • This is a scene that fully encapsulates the loss that is resident in the hearts of all men…that in the presence of Jesus, a God who thought them, created them, loves them, has come for them, to save them, to bring right back … they mock and they abuse…even in the light of His great wounds, suffering and innocence. But pause the scene for just a minute…those that claim the presence of Jesus in your life…be careful that you do not go down the path of this blinded battalion. • What do I mean by that…? You know the Word of God, you attend church and fellowship with the saints…but have you also fallen prey to your own heart in that this pattern shows up in your own life? First they put a false/fake robe of a king on Him…not to respect or fear Him…then they put a crown on Him but that crown is not of gold or silver (precious and perfect) but thorns (as marred as us/you)…In your mind, have you crowned God with the thought that His commandments hurt you…are burdensome to you? Are you in faith now that His commandments are…perfect and precious…? • Then they gave Him a scepter to rule them but that scepter is weak, flimsy, loose, powerless…do you have a form of godliness…love God, believe His Word and yet your life pattern doesn’t walk in obedience to Him…having a form of godliness but denying its power…and finally, is that the Jesus you bow to…the one that His Word hurts you, His robe offends you and His scepter has no power over you? Watch out for this Christians…We ought to simply bow…He already had a robe…He already had a crown…He already had a scepter…they just refused to see…We ought to just bow > start there lest we be ourselves in danger of being lost to our own darkness…the Bible would call that self deceived. Matthew Chapter 27 Verse 32 • A Roman cross in its entirety would weigh upwards of 300 pounds but this was probably only the crossbar which was probably around 100 pounds…at any rate, Jesus was so very weakened that He could not bear the weight and so Simon comes into the scene…now this is interesting. Mark tells us that Simon was the father of Rufus and Alexander and then Paul mentions Rufus “chosen in the Lord” in Romans 16. And so it could be that because of this interaction, Simon becomes a prominent early Christian… Matthew Chapter 27 Verses 33 – 34 • Think about this…this is along a road entering into the city…how many times did Jesus pass by or near this place in His lifetime…haunting isn’t it…this place, in Latin it’s called “Calvary,” and being about to be crucified they tried to give Him something to numb the pain…but He refused. Matthew Chapter 27 Verse 35 • He was crucified…for what? The crucifixion of Jesus Christ is a historical fact (Josephus, Tacitus, Pliny the Younger, the Babylonian Talmud, Lucian of Samosata, Thallus, Julius Africanus, Mara Bar-Serapion (Syrian philosopher), Phlegon, Suetonius, even historical figures from the first century writing hostilities against Jesus like Celsus > How about this one…Your calendar! HA)…a Biblical truth…and anyone simply observing today, not a follower of Jesus, ask yourself…for what? He had done no evil. No accusation had been found adequate. No insult, no complaint, allegation, denunciation, indictment…no crimination had found pay dirt with Jesus…nothing stuck. As He was questioned, He needed no defense. As He was scourged, He offered no confession. As His betrayer came clean, again Jesus was pronounced pure…so why was He crucified. The only answer…the answer that in light of the facts makes any sense at all…He was crucified for you… Matthew Chapter 27 Verses 36 – 44 • Humiliation at its peak, right in the middle of two condemned, the literal midst of the center of human depravity…I love what Guzik says, “God descended all the way down the ladder to save us.” There is nothing God would not do for you…You may think otherwise…that you’ve been praying, wanting, waiting asking for so long…but you have to realize what He’s already done. You pray and beg for a morsel when you are starving…when He has already provided fullness for you for the rest of your life…and even into eternal significance… • Spurgoen said, “Nothing torments a man when in pain more than mockery.” They said to Him, “He saved others, Himself He cannot save.” True statement…if He had saved Himself, all of us would be lost…but His choice…Himself or you? You…
Matthew 27 vs 15-26
July 23, 2017 • Pastor Matt Korniotes
Matthew Chapter 27 Verses 15 – 18 • It’s interesting and I want you to know that most often (not always) the leading cause of envy is malice. Ill will, animosity, bitterness, enmity…many times folks are cruel towards you and it has nothing to do with you. There’s something about you that they either don’t have, aren’t like or can’t overthrow! Or there’s simply something else out there or someone else out there that has their goose (Whatever that means) and they’re taking it out on you. Understanding that will help you calm down a bit and not retaliate so much…I like to remember, if they dislike you but still engage you then they’re fans! HA! • Pilate has never seen a man like this. Rejected and delivered by His own people to be executed in the most brutal manner known to them…to be nailed to a Roman cross and mocked until dead. He showed up in an obviously abused state…exhausted, beaten, dirty…He has examined Jesus himself and that examination left him, the seasoned Roman general, stunned – perplexed – in admiration of Jesus to the point that he is actively working to release Him! • A Jew! A Jewish prisoner for that matter. One that is causing discord in his territory. Logic and character witness of Pilate says that Pilate should have, would have done away with Jesus as quickly as possible…but here we see Pilate transformed into Polite (HA), trying to release Jesus, why? Because Jesus is unlike any other man he has ever encountered in all of his life! But here’s what we’re about to see…although Pilate is the one calling the shots, he is utterly controlled by others… • Is that you? Pilate knows what is right. What he should do. What he wants to do…but who is really living his life? Him or them? Who is really living your life? You? Or are you on puppet strings? Jesus said that He came to set the captive free. He said that He came to bring life and life abundant. He came to release you from fear, from the power of sin over your life…so that you might be alive…Pilate is a slave with a crown. Jesus is a King who needs no crown because He is life. Ultimately, it is Pilate being judged by Pilate in this scene… Matthew Chapter 27 Verses 19 – 21 • Should have listened to your wife, Pilate. You know, some of the best counsel I’ve ever received. In a hard situation or a hard decision or a hard circumstance with difficulties in dealing with other people’s lives I once called Sam (Pastor Sam Park) and asked for his direction. What should I do? I laid out the facts and said, Sam, what should I do here? His answer to me was, “What does April think?” At first I was like, “Bruh! I’m trying to figure out what you think!” And if I recall correctly, that’s what I said! HA! • But he said to me, and man it rings in my heart still so solid today, “No one in your life loves you like her. No one in your life knows you like her. No one in your life is going to be nearly as affected and invested in whatever direction you go. No one in your life prays for you like she does. No one in your life is worthy of a voice into your decisions comparable to her. What has April said on the matter?” And so I told him and his counsel to me was, “Heed the wisdom of your wife.” Nothing more, none of his own thoughts…nothing. • I hung up, and did as he said. Victory, safety and clarity is found in obedience and submission. I’ve learned that over the years…albeit the hard way…but ever since then, that “rule” has been my default and I have not betrayed Sam’s direction on several decisions since then – and I won’t…and God has so very much blessed. Not just the outcomes but also my heart for April…and hopefully she notices…I mean I don’t sound a bell every time I listen and obey her but boy I do it all the time…believe me, I know! HA! And so hopefully her heart has increased for me as well…Pilate almost seemingly disregards this advice of his wife which isn’t perfect…I mean he wanted to have something to do with Jesus…but she does identify Jesus as just and history tells us that she later converts to Christianity… • But the chief priests and elders control Pilate. Not Pilate. The multitudes control Pilate, not Pilate. It’s like he’s not even alive… Matthew Chapter 27 Verse 22 • Pilate here sits on the judgment seat and yet he fails to give justice! He knew Jesus was no criminal. He knew none of the charges against Him were true. He marveled at the submission, dignity and peace of Jesus and he had already declared Him innocent according to Luke 23. But in all of his power and position and prestige and pomp…he was nothing but a puppet being controlled by the peasants of his praetoriate! (Now you know that is some of the best alliteration you’ve EVER heard!) Matthew Chapter 27 Verse 23 • The response from the crowd is such an issue…the issue still today. Barabbas means “Son of the father,” and some manuscripts include his first name, “Jesus!” Whom do you chose to release into your life? So many today still cry out all the more! Jesus the son of the father, the murderer, or Jesus the Son of the Father, the Savior…? Matthew Chapter 27 Verse 24 • No you’re not Pilate. To intend to do right is meaningless. To want to do right is meaningless! The fact that he concluded in his mind that Jesus was innocent is meaningless. Searching for a clever solution and trying to do the right thing is meaningless. Washing his hands to make himself feel better…is meaningless. The responsibility was upon him to do right and he did not. Nothing else matters at all. Matthew Chapter 27 Verse 25 • Man, they just had no idea what they were saying. That should have been their wish relevant to the cleansing power of His blood… Matthew Chapter 27 Verse 26 • Barabbas knows firsthand what it’s like for Jesus to die in his place…Sitting there in his cell that morning as the sun was coming up…knowing that his execution awaits. Knowing that he is guilty…and then Jesus take his place…that cross was probably for Barabbas…Because of Jesus, death is released. • You know what though, Barabbas…as messed up his life was, as criminal as his heart was, Jesus still loves him like His own. He’s not put out to have to die for Barabbas, in his place, just like you would be ready to die for your children, God eternally more…even for you… • Oliver Cromwell. Born in 1599. Military and political leader. A historical story is told that one of his men deserted…he was caught and brought to the commanding officers who found him guilty of desertion…Cromwell pronounced sentence. “When the curfew bell sounded he shall be executed.” That night, they sounded the bell, they pulled on the rope but it was not heard…Cromwell was aware of something being wrong…he heard no bell…so he sent an officer to investigate and the officer came back with an incredible story. This deserter’s fiancé heard the news and had made her way quickly to the camp, climbed up to where the bell was suspended and tied herself to the clapper…blackened and bruised…they brought her to Cromwell who was deeply touched, moved by her love…he said, from this day forward, the curfew bell will not sound…
Matthew 27 vs 1-14
July 16, 2017 • Pastor Matt Korniotes
Matthew Chapter 27 Verses 1 – 2 • The verdict of the unlawful trial was death…it wasn’t guilty! It started with death and it ended with death and yet something stopped them from carrying out the sentence. Some teach, and they’re technically right (I’ve taught this), that the Jews lacked the right to carry-out capital punishment. Since Rome ruled the land, only Rome could execute…but what about Steven? What about the woman they brought to Jesus earlier in His ministry ready to stone her to death having been caught in the very act of adultery? • Could it have been the Passover? Or the fact that the entire trial was against their own law and they knew it? Perhaps…those things are certainly true as well…but here’s the thing…1,000 years before this early morning, Psalm 22:16 says, “They pierced My hands and My feet.” 700 years before this morning, Isaiah 49:14-16 says, “I will not forget you! Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you. See I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands!” • The Jews condemned Him, His own people sentenced Him, but His execution would come at the hands of the gentiles on a Roman cross…why? It was written…it was known by God before the foundation of the world…and while everything else can be changed, your fate, my fate, your day, my day, your mind, my mind, your heart, my heart…God does not change and His word does not change…why did they deliver Jesus to Pontius Pilate to be crucified? Because it is written…. • Look man, this is huge…sin is strong but the Word of God is stronger! The fate of the day is a mystery…perhaps even a worry, a fear…it’s like tomorrow is in the dark and we can’t see it…but the Word of God is a lamp, it is light…it doesn’t change and it is supernaturally, consistently, always spot-on accurate…this is just one of many reasons to study the Bible and study it and study it and study it…it’s like you’re mapping life out and that map is continually continually continually being proven right! • I mean can you imagine…hidden treasure is here…, “X” marks the spot…and then you find it…next day, new “X” appears…and then you find it! Not only will you totally become a treasure hunter…I mean who wouldn’t…but in the mix what are you amassing!? Treasure baby! You’re getting RICH…although this treasure is heart treasure, rightness treasure, strength treasure, courage treasure, wisdom treasure, character treasure…Be like Scrooge McDuck swimming through his money vault in your heart and each coin is POWER! HA!!! But I digress… • And so they bring Him to Pilate and Luke tells us that they brought with them entirely new accusations! Remember what they ended their trial with? “Now we have heard His blasphemy! He is deserving of death!” Pilate would have had them all removed immediately if that’s what they had brought to him…and so Luke tells us in Luke 23 that they accused Jesus of perverting the nation, refusing to pay taxes and opposing Caesar, calling Himself, “King.” • They had wrongly condemned Jesus. They had utilized dishonesty and foolishness seasoned with pride to make a horrific decision and now they had to plot and work and conspire as to how to bring the verdict about physically. We do the same thing…we know when we are walking in pride and weakness and then we have to work and work and work to try to make it stick or cover it up or control the damage (so much work!)…and to do it they add to their dishonesty and foolishly gross transgressive lies…if you’ve decided against the Lord, I pray you wake up before you commit your heart to this type of treason. • Why treason? Because this Jesus, this God, your Creator and Father is the biggest fan of your heart and soul that could ever live! All powerful, all mighty, all sovereign and all loving and yet in pride we turn from Him? If our hearts and souls had voices they would cry out treason until they were hoarse! (What do you call a pony with a sore throat – a little horse! HA!) Matthew Chapter 27 Verse 3 • See this…Judas was filled with remorse, not repentance and there is a HUGE difference! How can you know the difference? What a minute, you can see that difference in the motivation and in the outcome! The reason for the repentance and the result of the repentance! There is being sorry about sin and then there is being sorry for the sin. One is brought on because of what the sin did, the other is brought on simply because the sin ever occurred…Why was Judas remorseful? Because, he “saw that he had been condemned!” • This word for remorseful may be translated in your Bible as repentant but don’t get tripped up…this is an entirely different word then the word for repentance in Romans 2:4, which reads, “The goodness of God leads you to repentance…” Remorse like this is natural in all of us. It leads to self is being sorry for the result and sorry for being caught…repentance which leads to God is being sorry for the action of the sin period…and then there’s even a next level…being sorry for the heart even capable of it in the first place! Matthew Chapter 27 Verse 4 • Oh man I wish we could read more than one verse but this is HUMONGENOUS! Why? Judas had been with Jesus in public and in private, non-stop for over three years…and what he has done to Jesus is eating Him up! I mean have you ever done something against someone and you’re just being eaten up about it? What do you do? Well maybe you’re not as evil as I am but I search for justification…anything that I can console and convince myself that they deserved it! But years with Jesus and nothing…! • If there was any flaw in Jesus’ character or a lie embedded in any of this…Jesus proclaimed that He Himself was God…that alone would have given Judas justification to have Him killed…but this is HUMONGENOUS! Judas was like…dang man, He is God! This confession confirms it! Why? Because when he returns to his masters he says, “I feel bad! He was my Friend! He loved me!” NONE of that! “He lived a lie. He told us what was really going on in private!” None of that! “I have betrayed innocence,” – meaning Jesus was absolutely perfect, AND, “I have sinned,” – that’s a statement to Jesus’ deity!! • His dying words, His last statements, the last time we hear from him ever in all of eternity, the betrayer of Jesus proclaims Jesus to be exactly who He said He was…the very Son of God. The Savior sent to die for the sins of the world…The Jews could find nothing wrong with Him…eventually condemning Him based on a lie…the gentiles could find nothing wrong with Him…Pilate will say later in this Chapter, “I find no fault in Him,” and even His enemy, His betrayer, the Son of Perdition…man the implication is this…even Satan finds no fault in this Jesus…He is perfect in all ways and even to all peoples and principalities… Matthew Chapter 27 Verses 5 – 10 • Wow…this is crazy. Judas throws back the 30 pieces of silver…he hadn’t spent them…had just been looking at them since the night before…and their hypocrisy flexes…we can’t keep this money, its blood money…it was before, man… And so they use it to buy the potter’s field in which to bury strangers…very very odd but very very significant. • The potter’s field would be the trash heap, the dump for pottery that was flawed or broken or unusable…and this is much deeper than just these few statements, but check this out…Isaiah 64, “We are the clay, and You our potter…” A stranger to God, you’re buried…unusable and broken into pieces…but there is a way to restore clay…even hardened clay…did you know that? How? By heating it enough…and soaking it long enough in water…it becomes soft again…and check this out…the price for Jesus, the price paid for Him, for His blood…bought all those broken pieces… Matthew Chapter 27 Verse 11 • I wish this was an honest question…but it most likely wasn’t. Jesus is probably dirty, looks exhausted, beaten, bloody…and THIS is the King?? That’s the thought and tone here... Matthew Chapter 27 Verses 12 – 14 • We’re simply out of time but one more thought here as we close…this is the second time Jesus appeared in front of Pilate. The first time Pilate sent Him to Herod to be examined but Jesus didn’t say a word to him…so Herod sent Him back…and history tells us that Pilate was a man of extraordinary cruelty and ruthlessness. He was unkind to the Jews. He hated everything but more power and yet here we see Him stopped, stunned and softened by the presence and power of Jesus… • I pray, man I wish, man I hope, man I DREAM of one of you, just one of you…going towards Jesus because of this church, perhaps even this teaching…drop the noise, drop the toys, and go find Him on your own. Why? Because it doesn’t matter who you are or how hardened or hurt or hangry…He loves you…He’s waiting for you, He’s calling to you…and He will touch you…and then this church, His church, His kingdom starts body building!!!
Matthew 26 vs 57-75
July 9, 2017 • Pastor Matt Korniotes
Matthew Chapter 26 Verses 57 – 58 •According to John Chapter 18, before being taken to Caiaphas, He is taken to the home of Annas (Caiaphas’ father-in-law) and Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas. Also according to John Chapter 18, we know it’s not only Peter following to see what’s going to happen, John is following as well and that’s actually how they got into the courtyard of the high priest…and there’s something intriguing going on…turn over to John Chapter 18 and read verses 15 – 17… •I’m not sure why I never saw this before but I’m seeing that they knew John…and this servant girl who kept the door may have known that John was a follower of Jesus because she says to Peter, “You are not ALSO one of this Man’s disciples, are you?” What’s my point? Peter was overcome with fear. Taken by surprise. Unprepared and perhaps not even really hearing the question…you ever answer a question before the person is finished asking it? Just interrupt and get your answer out or your next statement in? Peter reacts and it could be that John was standing right there and that servant girl knew who he was and Whom he followed… •So what’s up with Peter? Hold that thought and we will come back to it at the end of this chapter… Matthew Chapter 26 Verses 59 – 62 •Why would they be seeking “false testimony” against Jesus? Here’s the thing, Jesus was nothing but good and nothing but a thorn in the side for them because He was greatly beloved by the people. What should we accuse Him of? Feeding the hungry, raising the dead, healing the sick? What would the people say? They needed more… •And this is entirely backwards! This process, this approach, this trial…He’s already been condemned to death, He’s already been pronounced guilty…and now they’re looking for a reason why!? Do you see how backwards that is!? And finally the high priest has heard enough with this last false testimony…, “This Man said He would destroy the temple…blow it up…and rebuild it in three days…” By the way, that’s not what He said, He said that He would destroy THIS temple not THE temple…and the high priest is astonished that Jesus has answered nothing… Matthew Chapter 26 Verses 62 – 63 •I just love that! Jesus I put you under oath of Jesus! HA! But what he asks here is ultra-dishonest. It is a question meant to trap, a question that he doesn’t really want Jesus to answer but rather He wants to use the answer against Jesus…I disdain dishonest questions… Matthew Chapter 26 Verse 64 •Today, this scene, Jesus stands in the place of the judged but here’s the thing, once He is judged by them, by you, by me, by each and every human being created…once we have judged Him worthy or worthless, the tables turn. Just like He says to them here in this scene, they sit in judgment of Him now but He will one day sit in judgment of them. •And He says, I sit at the right hand of the Power. I like that. Because that cannot be more clear. The Greek work…means power. He alone has the power over life, the power over death, the power to unlock heaven to men…He alone has the power to pay for sin, to forgive sin, to make an escape from hell…and in that power He will judge both the living and the dead…and what will He judge us for? How we judged Him…worthy, or worthless… Mathew Chapter 26 Verses 65 – 67 •Nothing about this trial was legitimate…and I want to give you some facts on that but understand this…nothing about the enemy of Christ, the enemy of the souls of men for that matter, is legitimate. Satan has no power over us except that which he usurps from us! We battle with the flesh, we fight with the world and we struggle against the spiritual principalities of darkness, but consider and don’t forget, if you are born again, born of the Spirit, then you’ve already won…don’t give away the victory for that moment…this entire trial – unlawful and illegitimate! (And yet while Jesus is in it, He is no part of the corruption…He remains perfect!) •Why does it matter? That the trial was unlawful…? Well for one, it’s intriguing…I mean an unlawful trial is an oxymoron…two, it proves that the only way to condemn Jesus was to do it dishonestly, and three, it’s exactly the same today. Any trial that Jesus is put on in our minds or hearts where we BEGIN as they did…that he is unworthy, not good and has to go…is DISHONEST. Look honestly into this Man…into this matter. Put a little work in…dig a bit…and its clear, anytime Jesus is rejected, something dishonest is happening… •But check this out…according to Jewish law, criminal cases could not be tried during the Passover. According to Jewish law, only an acquittal could be issued on the day of the trial. Guilty verdicts had to wait a day for any possibility of mercy to arise. All witnesses had to be examined separately and could not have any contact with each other. False witnesses were punishable by death but nothing was done to these many false witnesses! According to the law all evidence for innocence must be heard before any accusations of guilt. Also, trials could not be held when the courts were not in session…and, a man could not testify against himself…all of these laws were blatantly broken and what blows my mind is that they all knew it but here’s the thing…to the religious, the rules can bend or break or redefine according to their own convenience! •What’s even more amazing is that Jesus would have to only speak the word, “dust’ and they’d be gone…and yet here He stands…allowing this, silent, in complete control…and even, THIS IS CRAZY, revealing Himself plainly to them. Why? Have you ever done anything and thought, “Well that’s it, God is definitely done with me now…man, I’ve blown it…?” Man listen, sin is strong but grace is stronger! Failure is heavy but Jesus can lift that weight!!! This scene proves it! Matthew Chapter 26 Verses 69 – 75 •You know, this account is one of the few accounts that is included in each of the four gospels. I wonder if Peter thought, “Thanks a lot guys…!” HA! But this is such an important truth…what underlies this scene… •First, Peter is found following Jesus but at a distance and he ends up surrounded by servants…not servants of God…and these two conditions greatly contribute to the scene. The same will be for you…And something else here…was this servant girl going to kill Peter if he said, “yes?” Not likely. Perhaps she and the others around really wanted to know what was going on… •Six hundred soldiers…what’s the deal? The neighbors are all turning their lights off and peering through their blinds as they march by…all these leaders at the High Priest’s house…on the night of the Passover! All this commotion…this Man Jesus…what’s going on Peter? But Peter was warming himself…treating himself…missed perhaps the greatest opportunity thus far…one that each gospel would have caught… •But on we go…Peter denies the Lord…just like Judas did…and Luke tells us in Luke 22:61 that at the third denial, the rooster crows…and Jesus and Peter somehow locked eyes…and Peter remembered the Word of God…and he went out and wept bitterly. Here’s the thing…why this scene is so very important for us, for me, for you…Peter denied Jesus, he certainly failed but in no way is he a failure…I can hear the love in Jesus’ eyes… •What separates Peter from Judas…Judas failed and fell…Peter failed and went out…left that setting that contributed to it all…and wept bitterly. He hurt for his failure, to the point of action. Many are sorry, many say they are different or changed but time reveals their pain was for their own loss of comfort, not for what their life does to others…So many today blame others…that will lead nowhere…but Peter would go on to lead the establishment of the church in just a few short weeks… •And that rooster…what signifies a new day? The crow of the rooster…a new day for man was birthed with Jesus going to the cross…and even though you and I have failed the Lord so many times, lock eyes with Him again, remember His Word…look into this matter honestly if you are seeking, hear His love for you if you are feeling condemned…don’t give power over your life away…the battle is already won!
Matthew 26 vs 31-56
July 2, 2017 • Pastor Matt Korniotes
Matthew Chapter 26 Verses 31 – 35 •Peter loves the Lord. And what he says here, professes…there is no doubt that Peter meant it with all of his heart. One problem…Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked…” Peter opens his heart and love, loyalty, confidence, assertion, insistence pours out…I will do this, I will never do that…I’m with you forever…sounds a lot like vows that are professed at a wedding ceremony (that are so often broken). •The Lord answers, “Peter, I know your heart…and it is fallen, you will deny Me…” Peter doesn’t see it…how could he!? He’s resolute…but his resolution and confidence is in his flesh…which man the flesh just fails…our heartfelt vows…and emotion-flushed resolutions…they lack staying power… •So what are we to do? Live in reality. I’m, by nature, stuck on ME! It’s a new Lionel Richie song, REMIX, “Stuck on ME!” That’s the modus operendi (sp) of my nature. Survival of the fittest, baby! And the core of that, the reason for that, the root of that is the sin nature of everyman…and Romans 6:23, “The wages of sin is death.” •Left to my own logic and reason and capacity I may be smart as all get out…I can make a way for me but I lack wisdom of what is the perfect code for the moment. That action, that heart, that look, that smile, that tone, that glimmer that will bring about life to everyone around me, life to my circumstance, strength to walk in my resolution and pump eternal lasting life into my logic engine!! (How I learn…) •My heart which drives my life…is lost. My flesh will fail. And so Paul writes in Philippians 3 to have no confidence in the flesh but to rejoice in Christ Jesus! And so Peter, man he means this, this vow…but will find no strength to walk in it because his dependence and confidence is on himself…don’t fall into that trap! Depend upon the Lord, walk in His grace and His Word and what you’ll discover is that you can do all things through CHRIST who gives you strength!! Matthew Chapter 26 Verse 36 •(John 13 – 17) This is much more intense than it sounds in Matthew’s Gospel. John tells us that they went out into the night and as they walked they crossed the Brook Kidron which was a brook that flowed right at the foot of the temple mount and so this being the Passover…a quarter million lambs being sacrificed there at the temple….the Brook as Jesus led His disciples over it this particular night would be murky red from the blood of the sacrificial lambs being mixed with the water… Matthew Chapter 26 Verses 37 – 46 •Now this is interesting because recall when God made His covenant between Him and Abram…Abram slept…remember that? Genesis Chapter 15. And here we see as Jesus wrestles with the cost of salvation, the weight of what has happened to creation, and submits to the love of the Father, what’s the condition of those whom He is saving? Nothingness…man what can we bring to salvation? Nothing. The reason why anyone ever will ever be granted entrance into eternal life is Jesus. Nothing can be added to that but disappointment… •And what about this? How does Matthew know this? What happened there? James, John, Peter…they all slept. Jesus went alone. Matthew wasn’t there…these kinds of questions I take to the Lord…the only possible answer is that He told them…At some point Jesus told them what He asked, and how He bled great drops of blood. Why? There can only be one reason. To tell them that this is the ONLY way…to gospelize (sp) them so that they and you and me and us understand that if there was any other way, if we could work to be right with God, then Jesus would have skipped the cross and the weight of the world’s darkness. But there isn’t any other way and that is GOOD news! •Why? Because if there’s no other way then there’s nothing else that we must do but receive what has already been done! Think that sounds cheap? Ever heard someone call Christianity “cheap grace” or “easy way out?” Those statements are wrought with ignorance. Here is the beginning of what it cost. Salvation through Jesus cost more than all of existence combined because it cost Jesus His life…there is no such thing as cheap grace. But the gospel…there is grace! Only salvation and assurity of it is found in Jesus… •Two other quick things…even Jesus desired help and support from His friends while he battled with this hardship…and His friends loved Him…but the support wasn’t there…still gotta move forward! In the end, it’s just you and the Lord and when you are ok with that, when you settle that, your heart finds strength in dependency upon the only One who is able…it’s then…you’ll lead your heart and those in your life to the Lord. This victory enabled Jesus to ultimately bear the cross… •Second thing, Peter, temptation is gonna get you when you confide in your flesh…here’s how to prepare to overcome…watch…pray. Watch for the Lord. Watch His Word! Learn His heart and His ways…and then your tune will change to Stuck on You! Watch? My baby nephew can do that! But Lord I wanna do blank for You! (Fill in the blank) But what is required…be still…watch…talk to Me. Two super profitable nuggets… Matthew Chapter 26 Verses 47 – 50 •This blows me away…not the swords and clubs although that is the epitome of ridiculousness…Jesus, God with us, threatened by a sword…please…no, what blows me away is Jesus’ attitude and reaction to His enemy, His betrayer…, “Friend.” Just the fact that Jesus greeted Judas with love and welcome…blows me away…Jesus expresses commitment to His betrayer…try to do that with your dark heart! No way! •And John tells us that in this scene, this moment, so cool, so powerful…Jesus asks the crowd of soldiers, “Whom are you seeking?” And they say, “Jesus of Nazareth.” And He responds, “I AM,” and at that moment, the fallen world is put on its back! KO! Powerful, man! From the revelation of Yah to Moses, “Tell them I AM sent you,” to this moment, the revelation of God completed through Jesus and the earth fallen…falls… Matthew Chapter 26 Verses 51 – 56 •It’s amazing. In the beginning of the curse of sin…Genesis Chapter 3, God places an angel in front of the Garden of Eden and a flaming sword to guard the way to the tree of life…at the end of the curse of sin, right here at another garden, Jesus says, “sheathe that sword…” It is finished. The fight is over…God has become our Champion… •And this is so moving…Matthew gives no names but John rats them out…it was Peter who was a skilled fisherman but not too good with the sword and it was Malchus who lost his ear…and Jesus performs his final healing, final miracle before the cross…in that He heals His betrayer…exactly what He did for me…
Matthew 26 vs 1-30
June 11, 2017 • Pastor Matt Korniotes
Matthew Chapter 26 Verses 1 – 2 •With this statement, Jesus’ teachings are complete in Matthew’s Gospel and I love what Adam Clarke said on this scene (a late 1700’s, early 1800’s British Methodist Theologian), “Having instructed His disciples and the Jews by His discourses, edified them by His example, convinced them by His miracles, He now prepares to redeem them by His blood!” •To be delivered up to be crucified is easy to say but can you imagine the terror of what lays ahead of Jesus? He knows very well what will happen. He will be betrayed by His friend, falsely accused, spat at, punched with great hate (different then being struck out of obligation), scourged, mocked, and finally nailed, His body nailed, to a jagged wooden cross and hoisted high above the earth to hang. Knowing that…man just imagine the anxiety and turmoil…but one thing that steadies Him, and them…hope. •Hope is so very powerful. There have been several experiments conducted to observe the power of hope on the mind. One of which is very famous and if you haven’t heard it then you may be quite amazed. A Johns Hopkins professor names Curt Richter conducted an experiment in the 1950s with two sets of rats. One set was wild and one set was domesticated. •He placed the wild rats in a container of water. Within a few minutes, all of them had drowned. He concluded that when the wild rats faced a situation where they had no defense and seemingly no escape, they just gave up and almost voluntarily swam down into the water to their end. He called this, hopelessness. He then took the domesticated rats, held each one for a few minutes and then placed them one by one in a container of water. They swam for days…his conclusion, hope caused them to not only live, but to live out what they were capable of doing! •And I love this, 1 Peter, Chapter 1 says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you…” If you can assimilate that hope, mind-fill THAT, then what you face today…you’re capable. •Jesus faces a horrific reality and yet what does He know…He knows that His Kingdom is coming. That what He goes through with now will secure eternal life and forgiveness of sins for His disciples but also for me…and for you…And so with resolve, steadfastness and strength, He lives out what He alone is capable of doing…save the world from hell… Matthew Chapter 26 Verses 3 – 5 •This guy Caiaphas…he is like you and me and every other man or woman alive in one aspect…he has the opportunity to judge Jesus worthy of life or worthy of death. I mean, that’s really the decision that each of us face. If Jesus is worthy of life, then let Him live…live in you, in your life, in your heart, soul, mind and strength…but if not, He’s not permitted to live in any of those places and that is the deciding factor for each of us in terms of our own eternal life. Caiaphas chose poorly and according to Josephus in his Antiquities, Caiaphas ends up taking his own life only 2 years after Jesus’ resurrection… Matthew Chapter 26 Verses 6 – 13 •Matthew probably gives this scene as a recollection…to set up the causality of the next series of events because we see the same scene in John Chapter 12 but John places this scene prior to the Triumphal entry on Palm Sunday…but John tells us that this is Mary, the sister of Lazarus and specifically that this critical disciple was Judas. Also, John tells us that this very costly fragrant oil is a pound of costly oil of spikenard (one of my favorite words in the Bible – just because it sounds so cool!). And a pound of spikenard would cost about a year’s salary. This is probably the most precious thing Mary owns. It’s most likely her life’s savings and as she offers it to Jesus, Judas calls it waste. •I love what Spurgeon said, “Is anything wasted which is all for Jesus? It might rather seem as if all would be wasted which was not given to Him.” It must have been a heavy scene. What else is there to talk about but the fact that Jesus will be betrayed, crucified and then rise the third day. And so heavy with grief, Mary pours out all she has in worship towards Jesus. Her life’s savings…you could say she gave Him her future. Amazing too, with her giving Him her future, He secures it…, “Wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, she will be remembered.” •He didn’t memorialize Lazarus after he was raised from the dead. He didn’t memorialize Martha for all of her labors. He didn’t memorialize Peter for his devotion or John for his love. He didn’t memorialize His mother for her relationship to Him…but He particularly honors this Mary, why? For placing her hope in Him… •Judas is already uncomfortable and now he can’t escape the aroma of things to come that now fills the room…to the point where he raises objection and when he is shut down…he hits his tipping point… Matthew Chapter 26 Verses 14 – 16 •This is interesting…thirty pieces of silver is not a lot of money. Some have valued this deal at around $25…it seems almost crazy but I think about this quite often. Especially when there are problems in the church, or problems in a home, a family of God…what is the price, our price, that will cause us to turn against the very heart of God? •Two brothers in the Lord are arguing over something one of them said in front of others and now they are embarrassed…is that your price? Romans 12 says, “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brother love, in honor giving preference to one another and not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.” But that’s put on mute as you seek an apology? Is that all the silver the enemy has to offer you…? •But Matt, come on man, he caused it when he said that stupid offensive thing about me…why not rebuke him? Because that moment is passed…how is it that you think God has not dealt with him in his heart…because he hasn’t groveled at your feet? The spikenard isn’t for you…Romans 12 continues, “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse…” But that silver is shiny isn’t it… •Or a wife will use the word divorce in a time of marital counseling or a teenager will sneak out and go to that kegger they know they should definitely skip…or that employee will berate his boss behind her back…or someone will reach their tipping point and walk out of this church for the last time, never to return, because someone…yet again…sat in their seat! Listen, the next time you set down your cross and take up your torch and pitch fork against a brother or sister in the Lord, before you go on your pride march, stop for just a minute and realize, that’s your price…that’s what the enemy has to pay for YOU to betray the Lord…and I pray in that moment you’d get some wisdom, some clarity, and repent…Judas says 25 bucks, that’s my price… Matthew Chapter 26 Verses 17 – 30 •These were new words and new actions for the Passover meal. The Passover meal was full of symbolism that reminded the Jew of God’s deliverance from Egypt but Jesus is now ushering in a New Covenant. The fulfillment of the Passover picture in which the Egyptian Passover saved their earthly life, the Passover of the New Covenant in Jesus saves many their eternal life. •And notice, Jesus breaks the bread, a picture of His body, having been blessed of the Father, the holy/perfect God/Man, and He gave…and His command, “Eat it…eat it now…” No. His direction was “take.” This New Covenant isn’t forced on anyone but the truth is hell will be forced on everyone who rejects Him. This is the only remission of sins out there. And in the words of Jesus, a heart-felt hope to be with you, alive forever, in the Kingdom of God…
Matthew 25 vs 1-46
June 4, 2017 • Pastor Matt Korniotes
Matthew records for us the final intimate moments of teaching. After these two parables and final prophecy, Jesus is off to the Passover, the final meal in the upper room with His disciples and then on to Gethsemane. His message to them is simple and clear through these last sentiments. Be aware that one day the music will stop and folks will have to face it…face the music. How we’ve lived, what we have believed, will matter eternally more than our carnal minds can even realize…and so Jesus says be ready, be ever aware of the fact that one day (one day soon) we will all give an account… First, of what we’ve believed and to whom we have presented ourselves. Second, what we’ve done with what we’ve been given…and finally, how we’ve shown both what we’ve believed AND how we have used what we have been given in how we have served God in serving others…On one hand, well done…on the other hand, I do not know you… Matthew Chapter 25 Verse 1 •Understand that in the Jewish culture, marriage was typically a three step process. First was the engagement to be married which could happen super early in someone’s life and it even could be an agreement between families. Then there was betrothal which was more of a contractual type of thing where dowry was worked out and all and a covenant agreement would be signed. At the time of betrothal, you were basically married. To break it would require a divorce and the loss of the dowry. •After the betrothal, a period of a year transpired while the groom prepared for his bride and then, at some point, once that time had completed, he would come for her and the wedding ceremony (typically a 7 day party) would begin…and so this parable, this scene is the bridal party having waited for her groom, she goes out to see if he has come for her… •Now of course this is a parable so it is meant to be a story that closely parallels a reality and so we can think of this as the ten virgins being believers and the bride groom being the Lord (in context with the discussion of Matthew 24). And I think this scene is totally appropriate…why do they have lamps and not party-poppers? Because it’s dark man…just like these last days… Matthew Chapter 25 Verses 2 – 13 •It’s a rough scene for some. Five were ready, Jesus calls them wise. And five were not ready, which He calls foolish. Very interesting words also because the word for wise can be translated, “mindful,” while the word for foolish can be translated, “godless.” It’s ultra difficult in this physical/carnal world filled with problems and difficulties and complexities…its ultra difficult to be aware and ready of the Lord’s return…but here’s the key…what are you filling your mind with? •If you’re filling your mind with the things of God, it’s amazing how ultra difficult goes away…in many ways. And yet with godlessness and or “days filled less and less with God,” man foolishness, block-headedness will set in. I talk to all kinds of folks going through all sorts of problems but it never fails, the people that I see consistently in fellowship and in corporate worship and bible study, are always so steady and so full of hope and wisdom in whatever they are facing…why? Minds are filled with God… •Five were ready, five were not. Five went in, five were denied. And the basis of the denial is not that they weren’t baptized…it’s not that they were not believers…it’s not that they weren’t pure in their behavior (all ten were pure), the basis is that they didn’t know God, or perhaps better said, He didn’t know them…and so heaven remains closed to them… •It’s haunting…eerie…this word “know” is used 666 times in the Bible and literally Jesus is saying, “I never discovered you…I never examined or inspected you…” What does that mean? He was never allowed. Have you welcomed Jesus into your heart of hearts? That is how you come to know Him or better said, how He comes to know you…it’s the most important thing to do…in fact, for salvation, for heaven, it’s the only thing you MUST do…(Larry King Story) •You must be born again…Jesus called it “born of the Spirit” in John Chapter 3…and oil is a picture of the Holy Spirit…do you have the Holy Spirit of God within you? We can’t share…my decision for the Lord cannot save you…You must make your own decision for the Lord…get your own oil, Napoleon! Matthew Chapter 25 Verses 14 – 15 •And so we move from what we’ve believed to what we’ve done with the faculties to believe that He has installed in each one of us. “According to his own ability,” Jesus says and so that way you are wired, that unique and special and wonderful design of yours…is not primarily for you to make cash or get the girl or squat 1,000 pounds or breeze through school…primarily it’s for you to invest in the kingdom of God! And really this life’s purpose is this…will you allow that truth to define you? Matthew Chapter 25 Verses 16 – 19 •Time to face the music…and here’s the thing…is God saying, “Go make Me some money!” HA, no. The thought or the point here is that they used what they had been given and gained for their Master by that use… Matthew Chapter 25 Verses 20 – 23 •Notice that verse 21 and verse 23 have identical responses from the Lord…well done…it’s not how much you gain, it’s how much you gain relative to your resources…your opportunity…And I love this…this side of eternity, called “few things.” The other side of eternity, He calls “many things!” And He welcomes them into joy…(chara…kin to grace…are you short of the grace of God in your heart and life? Invest in the Kingdom…enter into His joy.) Matthew Chapter 25 Verses 24 – 26 •Listen, reaping where you have not sown is not the definition of a hard man…that is the definition of a man that entrusts his work to his servants…and notice this…God equates laziness with wickedness!! And that word means literally…full of labors, harassed by hardships…and blind to what things could be…WOW! Matthew Chapter 25 Verses 27 – 30 •Two servants took what they had been given and they invested in the kingdom of heaven. One servant took what he had been given and invested it into the earth. Investing in the kingdom produced eternal profit, investing in the earth returns eternal loss. And you know what’s so alarming here for me, this servant didn’t go off and spend what was given to him like the prodigal did, he just simply did nothing for his master…He essentially is a servant that didn’t serve…plenty of excuses…he didn’t even try…I tell you what, that was my faith for so long and here I am a little grown and I know now that was not a saving faith…I was not saved…because truth is, if you’ve received God’s grace and glimpsed His love and what’s been done for you, if the Holy Spirit of God in you cries out in worship…then you will be about His business…and that is bearing fruit unto salvation… Matthew Chapter 25 Verses 31 – 33 •The Bible speaks of three distinct judgments. There is the Bema seat judgment where the lives of Christians will be tried as it were by fire and the wood, hay and stubble will melt away but that which remains will be rewarded with position and responsibility and attire that will echo throughout eternal life. There is also the White Throne judgment which will be where the Book of Life is opened and all those that have died in their sin will be finally judged, removed from God’s presence and cast into the eternal loss of Gahanna. •But then there will also be this judgment spoken of by Jesus here and this is called the Judgment of the Nations. This happens after the Great Tribulation and before the Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ…before Jesus sets up His Kingdom on this earth to rule and reign for a thousand years, all the goats, all of the survivors of the Great Tribulation that took the mark, didn’t come to faith, are judged and removed from the world prior to the 1,000 years of peace…and look at what Jesus says, SO interesting! Matthew Chapter 25 Verses 34 – 46 •There is a key to understanding this prophetic teaching in verse 40. Who are the least of these? His brethren and I believe Him to be speaking of the Jews. During the Great Tribulation, the Anti-Christ at the mid-point of it all will sharply turn on the Jews to the point that they will flee, many believe to the fortified city of Petra carved into the rock side of a rock mountain…and as the Jews throughout the world and in Petra will have no mark to buy food, will be hunted as they have been in times before, there will be some folks on earth that have not taken the mark, that have turned to faith in Jesus Christ and have rejected the Anti-Christ and his campaign against the Jew. •These will help them, the brethren of Jesus…and Jesus will welcome them into His kingdom, welcome His Tribulation saints, His Tribulation sheep at His second coming. But all others, everyone who has taken the mark…they’re gone, man. The judgment of the nations… •And so today as we close…is there oil in your lamp? Do you walk and live by the Spirit of God…are you ready for His return? What have you done with what has been given to you? Are you investing in the Kingdom of God, or investing in this world? And, are you a goat or a sheep? There’s a big obvious difference. Goats are almost IMPOSSIBLE to gather together and to lead. They don’t gather at all, really. They are destructive, they eat anything…and they butt heads all the time. Sheep are easy to gather, would rather be together and when their shepherd calls to them, man they are so easy to lead to green pastures…which are you?
Matthew 24 vs 15-51
May 28, 2017 • Pastor Matt Korniotes
Matthew Chapter 24 Verses 15 – 16 •We know that this is the midpoint of the Great Tribulation in accordance with Daniel 9:27, and 12:11…also mentioned in Daniel 11:31. I believe the actual event is given in 2 Thessalonians 2: 3-4… Matthew Chapter 24 Verses 17 – 22 •He is speaking quite locally here. Fields, housetops, Sabbath, http://flee..surely it’s not the whole world because then it would not be fleeing at all but rather swapping places…and Jesus says that at that time it will be so horrible on earth, worse, far worse than anything that has ever come upon the earth > and somehow that even counts the flood > you can read about what will transpire in Revelation Chapters 6 – 19, and He mentions the elect here, and that may confuse you…but remember, elect is a word used to describe three types of people in the Bible. Christians, Jews and Tribulation saints…there will be few but some that do come to faith during the Great Tribulation…but the rapture is already past… Matthew Chapter 24 Verses 23 – 26 •And here comes the single THE sign of Jesus’ return, His second coming… Matthew Chapter 24 Verses 27 – 28 •The unmistakable sign of the second coming of Jesus to the earth. Not in the desert, not hidden until adulthood again, nothing like what these false Jesus’ say and emerge as today…like lightning…and there’s more… Matthew Chapter 24 Verse 29 •(Now we are into Revelation Chapter 19…) The world will be in complete craziness and NO ONE will miss the second coming of Jesus, BUT this is SO IMPORTANT…look at the response of the earth… Matthew Chapter 24 Verse 30 •Why would the church mourn? Why would the people filled with the Holy Spirit…having awaited the Great Tribulation to end…why would they mourn!? It’s a trick question to make a point. There is NO WAY the church would mourn the coming of Jesus! They would shout for joy! But even Revelation says that the people of the earth cry out for the rocks to fall on them to hide them from Jesus at His return. What’s my point…THEY’RE gone…or more accurately, they are with Jesus, the church…the power of God unto salvation, descending to the earth! Watch this… Matthew Chapter 24 Verse 31 •Where are the elect? One end of HEAVEN to another…so very encouraging, comforting and clear! But wait, you might say, doesn’t Jesus also mention the four winds? Yes and I love this because Mark gives us a little more light…he says, “He will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of the earth to the farthest part of heaven…” This is not a second rapture, it’s not that word harpazo…this is a gathering. Read Revelation 19, the world gathers against God, and God does some gathering Himself…My opinion, church, meet my elect, the Jews…Jews, meet the church and Romans 11 will fulfill finally in this moment… •So it’s then, at that time, the elect on earth are gathered…the Jews and the Tribulation saints, the fellow believers of the ones that cried out from under the alter all the way back in Revelation Chapter 6, remember that scene beginning in verse 9 of Chapter 6 of the Book of Revelation where John saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the Word of God and for the testimony which they held to…and they were crying out saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Remember that scene? Well now that time has come and those that suffered murder for their faith during the Great Tribulation, the brothers and sisters of those crying out from under the altar, Jesus gathers them together with us and makes His grand entrance! Matthew Chapter 24 Verses 32 – 35 •Understand, the fig tree is a symbol of the Jewish nation. Joel 1:7, God calls Israel the fig tree; Hosea 9:10 also refers to Israel as the fig tree; and you’ll also find this reference in Jeremiah 24:5. And so Jesus is saying to us, not to them, (because Israel already was), Jesus is saying to some future generation, when you see the fig tree…the end is near! Even at the door! What does that mean? DING-DONG!!! This generation will see all of these things! •WHAT!? Listen, let me explain…70 years ago this scripture was an absolute mystery…people were growing fig trees and asking them, “Are you tender, little fella!” HA! But a prophecy was given in Ezekiel 37 and the same prophecy was given in Zechariah 10…that God promised that the nation of Israel would return. A people scattered. A language lost. A land forgotten…but then, in a night, the nation was reborn. March 14th, 1948 the fig tree, the nation of Israel, miraculously returned. Never before seen on earth…a nation lost being reborn…and yet the impossible happened, just like God said it would… •And Jesus says here, assuredly – by no means will the generation that sees that event pass away until all these things take place! Now, how long is a generation? So much argument on that…but here’s what it is not…a long time! HA!!! And so the rapture, the Great Tribulation, the second coming of Jesus…DING DONG! - Honey, check the cameras, who’s at the door! HA!!! •And just notice the importance of God’s Word!!! “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away!” The Word of God is SO important! Psalm 138:2, “You have magnified Your word above all Your name!!” We HAVE to know God’s Word…if you don’t know how to study talk to me. If you don’t have a bible, talk to me. If you’re looking for a group, talk to me! If you don’t want to study…see me after class! HA! Nothing more important than getting the Word of God seeded and concreted within your heart. NOTHING. Matthew Chapter 24 Verses 36 – 42 •Now what is Jesus talking about? His second coming or the rapture? That’s actually not a difficult question to answer. It would be biblically impossible to accept that Jesus is speaking about His second coming rather than the rapture because (just to cite one example) Daniel 12 tells us that the end will come 1,290 days after the abomination of desolation. 3.5 years exactly…Also, verse 38 doesn’t align with the scene of the Great Tribulation in terms of eating and drinking…food will be an issue. Revelation 6:6 speaks of just one loaf of bread costing a day’s wage…and so Jesus is speaking of His coming in the clouds…and one will be taken, one will be left…which are you? •And I love this…we don’t know the day of the hour but we can surely WATCH! 1 Thessalonians 5 says we can know the season…that it shouldn’t overtake us like a thief in the night…it is, it can, it should be obvious to us…and we can be entirely READY for Jesus to make us take off Iron Man style from this fallen sewer, straight to heaven! I BELIEVE I CAN FLY!!! HA! Matthew Chapter 24 Verses 43 – 47 •Faithful and wise…? Be ready! Be taking care of your calling, your business today all unto the Lord!! And notice, Jesus speaks of provinces, assignments and responsibility when? AFTER THE RAPTURE and into eternity!!! Matthew Chapter 24 Verse 48 •See this! Notice this! To think and to spread that God’s coming is far off is described clearly here in the words of Jesus as EVIL! And why is it evil!? Because it’s bad?…not so much…but because of what it does in your own heart of hearts…LOOK!! Matthew Chapter 24 Verse 49 •Living like Jesus is sleeping makes you an absolute cold hearted snake! Thank you Paula! HA! You harden, you stiffen, your hope in heaven dries up and becomes a thought associated with only death and so hope’s gotta go somewhere so it goes into this world and is lost in the spirit of supply and demand and survival of the fittest! Beating people around you and losing your mind. Look…Living in constant, biblical expectation of Jesus’ return will do nothing but good for you and those around you! That will keep you sober, humble and gentle at heart…strengthened even in the midst of peril…or deny the truth of God and the efficacy of His Word…then this… Matthew Chapter 24 Verses 50 – 51 •Guzik says, “The most dangerous lie is not “there is no God” or “there is no hell,” but rather the most awful and dangerous and damaging lie of all of life is “there is no hurry…” If the enemy can’t have your soul then he’ll settle for your day, for your church, for your family, for your marriage, for your joy…don’t let him have a toe…believe and turn, man, that God may bring a life of refreshing – because truly, verily, assuredly, His coming is at hand – even at the door!!!
Matthew 24 vs 1-14
May 21, 2017 • Pastor Matt Korniotes
Matthew Chapter 24 Verse 1 •This is the last time Jesus will be in the temple…ever. As He goes out, we just read, He also departs. “Jesus went out and departed.” Why? Because what He is about to do, pay for death with His perfect blood, satisfy and fulfill the law for all of mankind, that action will completely nullify the temple as the dwelling place of God as 1 Corinthians 3 and 6 both tell us that in Christ, the temple is no longer a place but a heart…and so Jesus departs religion to accomplish relationship… •And the disciples perceive that He is not happy…He has just pronounced the woe statements upon the Pharisees, the scribes…all of mankind really…in that man has broken and rejected every covenant that God has offered and He is grieved as He departs so they try to cheer Him up, take His mind off of it all, release Him for just a minute from the pain of the previous occurrence…just good friend stuff…and they show Him the massive wonder of the temple. Matthew Chapter 24 Verse 2 •Jesus calls the temple…a “thing,” after earlier calling it “My Father’s House.” SO much changed with Jesus…Now, the structure was massive itself! Solomon’s temple, the first temple, had been destroyed so this temple was originally built by Ezra and Zerubbabel and yet Herod the Great greatly increased it! After Herod’s work the temple was huge, measuring 500 yards long by 400 yards wide. It was big and it was beautiful. Josephus wrote that the temple was covered in gold plating and when the sun hit it, it was blinding to look at… •But Jesus says here that not one stone shall be left upon another and this prophecy would soon come to pass. The temple was destroyed just 7 years after it was finished. Finished in 63AD, Rome crushed Jerusalem in 70AD and Israel was no longer for 2,000 years…but what happened was that the temple was burned and the heat of the fire was so great that the gold melted and flowed between the huge stones…so the Romans dismantled the temple stone by stone to essentially quarry out the gold… •You see there was no mortar between the stones to dam up the gold as it flowed in melted form. Why? Because this structure was so impressive, so astonishing that these massively huge stones were cut so precisely perfectly that they fit together leaving not even room for a knife blade between them. No mortar, no slime (if you recall Genesis 11), was needed and I like that. •Genesis 11 we read of a temple being built by men, for men (the FUBU tower, HA) to make a name for men…and to hold that together, slime was used inside and out…but God’s temple, what God wants to do in my heart…raw, man. No slime needed, no mortar, no glue…no outside adhesive…nothing of myself!!! He holds it all together and when we come together, stone by stone, things fit perfectly. There’s a great lesson there… •Jesus says this whole place will be thrown down…literally meaning that it will come to nothing…and man made religion will certainly end the same way…Now this literal prophecy given by Jesus to begin this chapter came to pass precisely literally and that gives us a precedent, a rule for the remainder of this chapter. We should expect literal fulfillments of the remaining prophecies as well… Matthew Chapter 24 Verse 3 •Now really they’ve asked three questions…when will these things be, when will be THE sign of Your coming, and the end of the age? Jesus will answer all three of these questions in the remainder of this chapter. Exciting stuff… Matthew Chapter 24 Verses 4 – 14 •Ok, let’s break this down just briefly. First, these prophecies are somewhat vague and He will get much more specific for us in verses to come but I just want to say one thing about this vagueness. One reason why prophecy may seem vague or imprecise is because God wants every age to have reason to be ready. We should not think of Jesus’ return as an event far off on a time line but something we have been running parallel with since the Day of Pentecost. •He begins by saying that many will emerge claiming to be the returned Jesus Christ. Interesting, throughout history there have been many people, hundreds, perhaps thousands that have claimed to be the returned Jesus upon the earth. Even women…I don’t get http://that...ha! But whatever. Crazy thing is…folks actually follow them! Perhaps a few names you will recognize, Sun Myung Moon…leader of the Moonie Cult. David Koresh. Maybe a name you don’t know, Apollo Quiboloy – OVER 4 MILLION FOLLOWERS! Crazy! Why crazy!? – Because in THIS chapter, Jesus will tell us EXACTLY how He will return… •Jesus continued…nation will rise against nation (literally people groups against other people groups) and yet He separates kingdom from nations which means that within the powers there will be super powers…and they will rise against one another…super powers in terms of nations has only been a thing for the past couple of hundred years and now just a few countries alone have the power to destroy anything, anywhere, at anytime… •Famines, pestilences…anyone hear about Zika anymore? Pig flu? SARs…it seems that stuff pops up, freaks us out and then it’s gone…well not everything. Aids, HIV, cancer…these pestilences remain…all of these things are, what Jesus calls…the beginning of sorrows…or literally, birth pangs. •And interesting…Jesus says, “lawlessness will abound” and because of that the love of the world will grow dark. You know that isn’t necessarily rebellion but rather its ignorance…the willful ignorance of one generation leads to the total darkness in ignorance of the next…and the gospel will be proclaimed in all the world and He uses the word witness…I like that because during the Great Tribulation, mentioned in Revelation 11, there are two witnesses showing great power on earth and the Bible says that all nations see them AND during the Great Tribulation there is an angel flying about in the sky proclaiming the gospel (Revelation 14:6-7)…but now Jesus gets a bit more specific… Matthew Chapter 24 Verses 15 – 16 •We know that this is the midpoint of the Great Tribulation in accordance with Daniel 9:27, and 12:11…also mentioned in Daniel 11:31. I believe the actual event is given in 2 Thessalonians 2: 3-4… Matthew Chapter 24 Verses 17 – 22 •He is speaking quite locally here. Fields, housetops, flee…surely it’s not the whole world because then it would not be fleeing at all but rather swapping places…and Jesus says that at that time it will be so horrible on earth, worse, far worse than anything that has ever come upon the earth > and somehow that even counts the flood > you can read about what will transpire in Revelation Chapters 6 – 19, and He mentions the elect here, and that may confuse you…but remember, there will be few but some that do come to faith during the Great Tribulation…but the rapture is already past… Matthew Chapter 24 Verses 23 – 26 •And here comes the single THE sign of Jesus’ return, His second coming… Matthew Chapter 24 Verses 27 – 28 •The unmistakable sign of the second coming of Jesus to the earth. Not in the desert, not hidden until adulthood again, nothing like what these false Jesus’ say and emerge as today…like lightning…and there’s more… Matthew Chapter 24 Verse 29 •(Now we are into Revelation Chapter 19…) The world will be in complete craziness and no one will miss the second coming of Jesus BUT this is SO IMPORTANT…look at the response of the earth… Matthew Chapter 24 Verse 30 •Why would the church mourn? Why would the people filled with the Holy Spirit…having awaited the Great Tribulation to end…why would they mourn!? It’s a trick question to make a point. There is NO WAY the church would mourn the coming of Jesus! They would shout for joy! But even Revelation says that the people of the earth cry out for the rocks to fall on them to hide them from Jesus at His return. What’s my point…THEY’RE gone…or more accurately, they are with Jesus, the church…the power of God unto salvation, descending to the earth! Watch this… Matthew Chapter 24 Verse 31 •Where are the elect? One end of HEAVEN to another…so very encouraging, comforting and clear! But eternally more important than answering the question as to where the church is at Jesus’ return, or when will these things be…is answering the question, are you the church? - - I know far too much to buckle now
Matthew 23 vs 13-39
May 7, 2017 • Pastor Matt Korniotes
Matthew Chapter 23 Verse 13 •If this is something that enrages Jesus, something that He pronounces woe upon, that means that His desire, (and this is SO GOOD), God’s desire is for the kingdom of heaven to be OPEN to all men and for all men to go right in! I love that! It’s a Biblical truth of God that we read in 1 Timothy 2:4, “God desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth!” •Man, through Jesus God has swung wide the doors of the kingdom! How is that!? How does that happen right now!! He drops His kingdom right into your heart! His promise, His gift, His guarantee…God Himself, (the third Person of the Trinity), the Holy Spirit Himself makes His way into your heart of hearts when you place your faith in Jesus Christ and therefore, the kingdom enters YOU! And Jesus says to the religious elite, YOU stop folks from My very will. For freedom. Liberation of their heart, soul, mind and strength (I love that! Through God’s Spirit, we are unlocked and unleashed!) •Now this perfectly contrasts with the first of the eight beatitudes given by Jesus in Matthew Chapter 5. There He detailed the beatitudes…the character of kingdom citizens, and here in Matthew 23 He is giving the Don’t-Be-Attitudes! HA! And so check this out…Matthew Chapter 5 verse 3…, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs IS the kingdom of heaven!” •You religious leaders filled with self piety and high-and-mightiness…you’ve lost that loving feeling (Peter leans over to Jesus, “I hate it when they do that!” HA!) To be poor in spirit is to live in reality, man! To come to the realization that we are all a mess! Broken folks, sinful, without moral virtues and any adequacy towards a holy, pure and perfect God! It’s ONLY then that we knock knock knock on heaven’s door, and we go in RIGHT NOW…we turn to Him for sustenance, righteousness, help, and salvation…adequacy and purpose, man! •But these have turned to themselves and to works and to making themselves good enough for God…God says, “He who seeks to gain his life will lose it but whoever loses His life for My sake,” (places His entire trust in Me), “he will gain it!” •And that, friends, harkens back to the first of the Biblical covenants! You see there are 8 woes pronounced in Chapter 23. 8 ways in which you will kill your own soul, waste your life and the lives of those around you…and there are 8 beatitudes pronounced in Matthew Chapter 5. 8 ways in which you will find life and life abundant and infect people around you with that same vigorous, spirit-filled and spirit-freed life! And…there are 8 covenants of God in the Bible from the Garden of Eden to the New Covenant…and man, God has given us a pattern of alignment. •The first of the eight covenants is the Edenic covenant and it is given to us in Genesis Chapter 1 Verses 28 – 30 where God said to His newly formed perfect creation, “Everything is yours! Be fruitful, multiply, subdue the earth…it’s all yours!” The Edenic Covenant was what’s called a conditional covenant because God gave a condition. He said, “Of all of the fruit of the trees you may eat except for the tree of the knowledge of good and evil for in the day you eat of it surely you will die…” But the Edenic Covenant itself…everything My child, everything I have made, I give to you! •Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit…those that come to and trust in God…for theirs is the kingdom!” And then He says here in Matthew 23, “You have robbed both yourselves and the others of the kingdom of God!” And so how do we get back? Choose blessed…reject woe! (ONLY YOU CAN DO THAT FOR YOURSELF) Deuteronomy 30:19, “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your decedents may live!” •So the application? The Edenic Covenant is yet for you and for me…to be fruitful, to subdue this place, to be given and entrusted with all that is of the Father…and yet the condition is still there…do you trust God or do you trust yourself? Are you ok with being a mess, undone and broken in the sight of God, transparent and not hidden…or do you shut up the kingdom to both yourself and those around you by your self-piety and high holy self righteousness – self trust? Blessed or woe…YOUR choice. Matthew Chapter 23 Verse 14 •The idea here is that they used manipulation, cleverness, and even guilt trips to literally pull folks livelihood from them and their prayers were for their own benefit, self-serving and not God-honoring! Both of those things produces in the heart of man a pit that cannot be filled by anything…and so eventually, completely, woe will set in! But Jesus said in Matthew 5:4, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted!” A Christian, one who loves God and follows God, does not take advantage of the loss of others but rather if one member suffers, all the members suffer with them (1 Cor 12:26). •Our prayers should not be pretentious…attempting to impress someone or attempting to appear important or smart or godly or whatever…those are pretend prayers! But man, blessed are you when you love others as yourself…aligning your own heart to God’s! •And the second covenant of the scriptures is what is called the Adamic Covenant…which pronounced the curse of sin upon mankind but also brought with it the grace of God in that God made provision for that sin! Genesis Chapter 3 and specifically Genesis 3:15…the grace of God being upon His own provision in that God will bring forth the seed of the woman to crush the head of the serpent…when woman has no seed and therefore speaking of the virgin birth of Jesus Christ…the Savior! And so aligning with the blessed and with the woe, within this covenant is a surety of condemnation through sin but a promise of grace through heart-alignment with God! That’s where the blessed is, man…seek His heart and see whatever and whomever through His eyes…! Or Woe, man…your choice… •Now Jesus said in the Beatitudes, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth…,” but to the scribes and Pharisees He says… Matthew Chapter 23 Verse 15 •This has a habit of happening…when someone has some sort of religious trip…oh man the way to God is to repeat this prayer every day or this ritualistic service every week and they go and make a convert, that convert will be often times more enthusiastic, more passionate and zealous about that trip! And Jesus man breaks through with a huge statement here…that the words said sound godly and holy and righteous and ring with the lingo of truth but the result is a son of hell…staggering. There are many groups on the scene today offering a way of belief and using similar or even the same language as Christianity but they are leading people not to the light but to darkness. •The third covenant is the Noahic Covenant…and this one is unconditional…God promised to never destroy the earth again by a flood…giving the rainbow as a sign…folks God has promised that we are free…His disciples, His followers, His children alone and we ought to look only to Him, and His word for the way to go…He has promised through the resurrection of Jesus Christ that our sins are forgiven, our chains are gone…pursue only Him! •Jesus spoke in the beatitudes, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled!” But to these religious leaders He said… Matthew Chapter 23 Verses 16 – 22 •They had a clever and deceptive way to get out of oaths and really their tool was complication…how complicated was what we just read! But God said citizens of the kingdom keep things simple…hunger and thirst after righteousness…the things of this world, money, things, power, position…the list goes on and on…this is me here…cloud me. If I don’t actively fight my own self to keep the Lord first…I quickly find myself rushed, frustrated, irritated, distracted and that list goes on and on too… •To hunger and thirst for righteousness, you have to have a hunger…you have to not allow yourself to fill up on the junk food of this world. A beautiful meal can be prepared for you, healthy and scrumptious, but if you’ve been eating junk food for the last hour…you’ll skip it…and just like junk food complicates your physical health, worldly junk complicates your spiritual health… •The fourth covenant is the Abrahamic Covenant…In this covenant, many things were promised but probably the one most known is that God promised Abraham that, “In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed…” Keep it simple, man…that blessing will come through you as well…first to your own family and then to many others… •Jesus said in the beatitudes, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy,” but He says of the scribes and Pharisees… Matthew Chapter 23 Verses 23 – 24 •Notice here Jesus says that there are things that come before other things…mercy, justice and faith are weightier…they must come before sacrifice lest your sacrifice be hypocritical and eventually disdained in your own heart! Woe will set it…but mercy…man, mercy requires God in you…doesn’t it? Ever wanna choke someone but you getting right with the Lord!? HA!! That is a work of the Spirit…anyone can brag on their giving…anyone can feel good about themselves because they tithe their time…(which is not a real thing by the way), but to love mercy and seek justice and walk humbly with God…that is the weight of the Law. •And the fifth covenant is the Palestinian Covenant found in Deuteronomy 30. This less known covenant basically promised a restored land in obedience but also ensured a scattering due to disobedience…like blowing on spice when it is spilled on the counter…God promised (more like revealed) that walking apart from Him would result in a scattered mess of a heart…woe… •And Jesus said in the beatitudes, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God!” But to these He said… Matthew Chapter 23 Verses 25 – 26 •Outward religion, purity of behavior and ritual, profits nothing but man, a pure heart…you will see God!! Go after the heart, not the habit! The habit can be fixed yet the heart can remain sick…but if the heart is filled with the love and truth of God then man the habits will fix themselves! •The next covenant in the Bible is the Mosaic Covenant! Awesome! The law given to Moses that is and was a school master, a pointer to the fact that no man can keep the true standard of righteousness and that each man and woman is in need of a Savior…a heart fix…aligns so perfectly!! And I’ll remind you again…woe or blessed. Which will you take? Your choice! •Jesus said in the beatitudes, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God!” But to these religious jerks (oh I mean zealots) He said… Matthew Chapter 23 Verses 27 – 28 •How do we know this is the case with a man or a woman? That their religious piety is outward alone and on the inside they are as dead as a doornail (whatever that means…)…we know this is the case when they are not peacemakers…wow! •And the seventh covenant in the Bible is the Davidic Covenant…in that God promised through David an everlasting kingdom…and the fulfillment of that covenant is and was the coming of the Prince of Peace Himself…aligns so very perfectly! How do we become peacemakers? Learn from the Prince… •And finally, Jesus closed the beatitudes by saying, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven…” But to these He says… Matthew Chapter 23 Verses 31 – 36 •Aligns perfectly doesn’t it…Jesus said that we won’t fit in this world…that the world will reject truth and true love…pointing people to the One and only God and His Word…but we ought to remember, they hated Him first…we are in good company and our home is coming…for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. •The final covenant given in the Bible is the New Covenant…in which God takes away the things of the past and makes all things new…He desires to make in us a new creation…outside of this creation…something different, something more, something that fits not with this world but with Him in His kingdom…my how we fight and resist as we grow up in Him, do we not…? •And Jesus brings His final public official broadcast to a close by saying… Matthew Chapter 23 Verses 37 – 39 •You can hear it in His voice, can’t you? The heart-cry of Jesus in their lives, in my life, in your life is to take nothing from you but our woe…to protect you, to care for you, provide for you and even cherish you like a father does his children…This is not the desire of a prophet, or a spirit brother of Lucifer, or an angel…this is only the desire of a Savior… •The issue is not God’s willingness to save and do all that you need and require, the issue is my willingness and your willingness to be saved…doesn’t seem to make sense does it…but the world, the flesh and the enemy are all quite formidable opponents…you must win…You cannot lose…woe and blessed…your choice.
Matthew 23 vs 13-15
April 30, 2017 • Pastor Matt Korniotes
Matthew Chapter 23 Verse 13 •If this is something that enrages Jesus, something that He pronounces woe upon, that means that His desire, (and this is SO GOOD), God’s desire is for the kingdom of heaven to be OPEN to all men and for all men to go right in! I love that! It’s a Biblical truth of God that we read in 1 Timothy 2:4, “God desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth!” •Man, through Jesus God has swung wide the doors of the kingdom! How is that!? How does that happen right now!! He drops His kingdom right into your heart! His promise, His gift, His guarantee…God Himself, (the third Person of the Trinity), the Holy Spirit Himself makes His way into your heart of hearts when you place your faith in Jesus Christ and therefore, the kingdom enters YOU! And Jesus says to the religious elite, YOU stop folks from My very will. For freedom. Liberation of their heart, soul, mind and strength (I love that! Through God’s Spirit, we are unlocked and unleashed!) •Now this perfectly contrasts with the first of the eight beatitudes given by Jesus in Matthew Chapter 5. There He detailed the beatitudes…the character of kingdom citizens, and here in Matthew 23 He is giving the Don’t-Be-Attitudes! HA! And so check this out…Matthew Chapter 5 verse 3…, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs IS the kingdom of heaven!” •You religious leaders filled with self piety and high-and-mightiness…you’ve lost that loving feeling (Peter leans over to Jesus, “I hate it when they do that!” HA!) To be poor in spirit is to live in reality, man! To come to the realization that we are all a mess! Broken folks, sinful, without moral virtues and any adequacy towards a holy, pure and perfect God! It’s ONLY then that we knock knock knock on heaven’s door, and we go in RIGHT NOW…we turn to Him for sustenance, righteousness, help, and salvation…adequacy and purpose, man! •But these have turned to themselves and to works and to making themselves good enough for God…God says, “He who seeks to gain his life will lose it but whoever loses His life for My sake,” (places His entire trust in Me), “he will gain it!” •And that, friends, harkens back to the first of the Biblical covenants! You see there are 8 woes pronounced in Chapter 23. 8 ways in which you will kill your own soul, waste your life and the lives of those around you…and there are 8 beatitudes pronounced in Matthew Chapter 5. 8 ways in which you will find life and life abundant and infect people around you with that same vigorous, spirit-filled and spirit-freed life! And…there are 8 covenants of God in the Bible from the Garden of Eden to the New Covenant…and man, God has given us a pattern of alignment. •The first of the eight covenants is the Edenic covenant and it is given to us in Genesis Chapter 1 Verses 28 – 30 where God said to His newly formed perfect creation, “Everything is yours! Be fruitful, multiply, subdue the earth…it’s all yours!” The Edenic Covenant was what’s called a conditional covenant because God gave a condition. He said, “Of all of the fruit of the trees you may eat except for the tree of the knowledge of good and evil for in the day you eat of it surely you will die…” But the Edenic Covenant itself…everything My child, everything I have made, I give to you! •Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit…those that come to and trust in God…for theirs is the kingdom!” And then He says here in Matthew 23, “You have robbed both yourselves and the others of the kingdom of God!” And so how do we get back? Choose blessed…reject woe! (ONLY YOU CAN DO THAT FOR YOURSELF) Deuteronomy 30:19, “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your decedents may live!” •So the application? The Edenic Covenant is yet for you and for me…to be fruitful, to subdue this place, to be given and entrusted with all that is of the Father…and yet the condition is still there…do you trust God or do you trust yourself? Are you ok with being a mess, undone and broken in the sight of God, transparent and not hidden…or do you shut up the kingdom to both yourself and those around you by your self-piety and high holy self righteousness – self trust? Blessed or woe…YOUR choice. Matthew Chapter 23 Verse 14 •The idea here is that they used manipulation, cleverness, and even guilt trips to literally pull folks livelihood from them and their prayers were for their own benefit, self-serving and not God-honoring! Both of those things produces in the heart of man a pit that cannot be filled by anything…and so eventually, completely, woe will set in! But Jesus said in Matthew 5:4, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted!” A Christian, one who loves God and follows God, does not take advantage of the loss of others but rather if one member suffers, all the members suffer with them (1 Cor 12:26). •Our prayers should not be pretentious…attempting to impress someone or attempting to appear important or smart or godly or whatever…those are pretend prayers! But man, blessed are you when you love others as yourself…aligning your own heart to God’s! •And the second covenant of the scriptures is what is called the Adamic Covenant…which pronounced the curse of sin upon mankind but also brought with it the grace of God in that God made provision for that sin! Genesis Chapter 3 and specifically Genesis 3:15…the grace of God being upon His own provision in that God will bring forth the seed of the woman to crush the head of the serpent…when woman has no seed and therefore speaking of the virgin birth of Jesus Christ…the Savior! And so aligning with the blessed and with the woe, within this covenant is a surety of condemnation through sin but a promise of grace through heart-alignment with God! That’s where the blessed is, man…seek His heart and see whatever and whomever through His eyes…! Or Woe, man…your choice… •Now Jesus said in the Beatitudes, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth…,” but to the scribes and Pharisees He says… Matthew Chapter 23 Verse 15 •This has a habit of happening…when someone has some sort of religious trip…oh man the way to God is to repeat this prayer every day or this ritualistic service every week and they go and make a convert, that convert will be often times more enthusiastic, more passionate and zealous about that trip! And Jesus man breaks through with a huge statement here…that the words said sound godly and holy and righteous and ring with the lingo of truth but the result is a son of hell…staggering. There are many groups on the scene today offering a way of belief and using similar or even the same language as Christianity but they are leading people not to the light but to darkness. •The third covenant is the Noahic Covenant…and this one is unconditional…God promised to never destroy the earth again by a flood…giving the rainbow as a sign…folks God has promised that we are free…His disciples, His followers, His children alone and we ought to look only to Him, and His word for the way to go…He has promised through the resurrection of Jesus Christ that our sins are forgiven, our chains are gone…pursue only Him! •Jesus spoke in the beatitudes, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled!” But to these religious leaders He said… Matthew Chapter 23 Verses 16 – 22 •They had a clever and deceptive way to get out of oaths and really their tool was complication…how complicated was what we just read! But God said citizens of the kingdom keep things simple…hunger and thirst after righteousness…the things of this world, money, things, power, position…the list goes on and on…this is me here…cloud me. If I don’t actively fight my own self to keep the Lord first…I quickly find myself rushed, frustrated, irritated, distracted and that list goes on and on too… •To hunger and thirst for righteousness, you have to have a hunger…you have to not allow yourself to fill up on the junk food of this world. A beautiful meal can be prepared for you, healthy and scrumptious, but if you’ve been eating junk food for the last hour…you’ll skip it…and just like junk food complicates your physical health, worldly junk complicates your spiritual health… •The fourth covenant is the Abrahamic Covenant…In this covenant, many things were promised but probably the one most known is that God promised Abraham that, “In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed…” Keep it simple, man…that blessing will come through you as well…first to your own family and then to many others… •Jesus said in the beatitudes, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy,” but He says of the scribes and Pharisees… Matthew Chapter 23 Verses 23 – 24 •Notice here Jesus says that there are things that come before other things…mercy, justice and faith are weightier…they must come before sacrifice lest your sacrifice be hypocritical and eventually disdained in your own heart! Woe will set it…but mercy…man, mercy requires God in you…doesn’t it? Ever wanna choke someone but you getting right with the Lord!? HA!! That is a work of the Spirit…anyone can brag on their giving…anyone can feel good about themselves because they tithe their time…(which is not a real thing by the way), but to love mercy and seek justice and walk humbly with God…that is the weight of the Law. •And the fifth covenant is the Palestinian Covenant found in Deuteronomy 30. This less known covenant basically promised a restored land in obedience but also ensured a scattering due to disobedience…like blowing on spice when it is spilled on the counter…God promised (more like revealed) that walking apart from Him would result in a scattered mess of a heart…woe… •And Jesus said in the beatitudes, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God!” But to these He said… Matthew Chapter 23 Verses 25 – 26 •Outward religion, purity of behavior and ritual, profits nothing but man, a pure heart…you will see God!! Go after the heart, not the habit! The habit can be fixed yet the heart can remain sick…but if the heart is filled with the love and truth of God then man the habits will fix themselves! •The next covenant in the Bible is the Mosaic Covenant! Awesome! The law given to Moses that is and was a school master, a pointer to the fact that no man can keep the true standard of righteousness and that each man and woman is in need of a Savior…a heart fix…aligns so perfectly!! And I’ll remind you again…woe or blessed. Which will you take? Your choice! •Jesus said in the beatitudes, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God!” But to these religious jerks (oh I mean zealots) He said… Matthew Chapter 23 Verses 27 – 28 •How do we know this is the case with a man or a woman? That their religious piety is outward alone and on the inside they are as dead as a doornail (whatever that means…)…we know this is the case when they are not peacemakers…wow! •And the seventh covenant in the Bible is the Davidic Covenant…in that God promised through David an everlasting kingdom…and the fulfillment of that covenant is and was the coming of the Prince of Peace Himself…aligns so very perfectly! How do we become peacemakers? Learn from the Prince… •And finally, Jesus closed the beatitudes by saying, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven…” But to these He says… Matthew Chapter 23 Verses 31 – 36 •Aligns perfectly doesn’t it…Jesus said that we won’t fit in this world…that the world will reject truth and true love…pointing people to the One and only God and His Word…but we ought to remember, they hated Him first…we are in good company and our home is coming…for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. •The final covenant given in the Bible is the New Covenant…in which God takes away the things of the past and makes all things new…He desires to make in us a new creation…outside of this creation…something different, something more, something that fits not with this world but with Him in His kingdom…my how we fight and resist as we grow up in Him, do we not…? •And Jesus brings His final public official broadcast to a close by saying… Matthew Chapter 23 Verses 37 – 39 •You can hear it in His voice, can’t you? The heart-cry of Jesus in their lives, in my life, in your life is to take nothing from you but our woe…to protect you, to care for you, provide for you and even cherish you like a father does his children…This is not the desire of a prophet, or a spirit brother of Lucifer, or an angel…this is only the desire of a Savior… •The issue is not God’s willingness to save and do all that you need and require, the issue is my willingness and your willingness to be saved…doesn’t seem to make sense does it…but the world, the flesh and the enemy are all quite formidable opponents…you must win…You cannot lose…woe and blessed…your choice.
Matthew 22 vs 41-46 & 23 vs 1-12
April 23, 2017 • Pastor Matt Korniotes
Matthew Chapter 22 Verses 41 – 46 •It’s a staggering statement by Jesus because in this culture, in no way, no how, no shape and under no circumstances would the father of a family ever refer to his son as lord. It just didn’t happen. This culture was and is entirely patriarchal and therefore until the father’s death, he would be revered as lord of the home. •But David makes this statement in Psalm 110 and Jesus asks them, baffles them really, why would David do this? Of course the answer is that Jesus indeed is the Son of man…the Son of David…and yet He is also the Son of God…and therefore both the Son of David and the Lord of David! And check this out, Jesus says that David, in the Spirit penned the Psalm and in that statement He validates that indeed the scripture is not man originated but rather man penned and originated by the Holy Spirit…just as 2 Timothy 3:16 states… •What’s striking for me is that even in the midst of all of the rejection and the hate, Jesus reaches out to them. You see they also taught and thought that the Messiah would simply be a man…not divine. Their accusation against Jesus later would be that Jesus made Himself equal to God which in their mind was blasphemy, not a sign of the Messiah…and Jesus knew that…So one last try…After this question He will pronounce woe upon the scribes and the Pharisees…but not all of them…some of them heard the scriptures through Him and knowing them for years, they finally did receive them… Matthew Chapter 23 Verses 1 – 3 •Jesus allots respect and even obedience towards the scribes and the Pharisees not for who they are and certainly not for how they are but simply because of the fact that they sit in the seat of Moses. And there is something to be said and taught about reverence towards those that are in positions or seats of authority even if you don’t like them…even if they’re not good leaders…God still has a purpose for you and for me in those situations… •Poole said it this way, “Let not the law of God lose its authority with you because of wicked men…” The wise goal and correct passage is to seek the heart of God in whatever situation and in whatever relational or personal circumstance. If the men and women around you must be perfect to obtain your ear towards the things of God then good luck! You may as well go mute the rest of your life too…and I’ll say just one more thing on this topic…I am eternally thankful for the less than perfect leaders I’ve had throughout my past…(and not for their good characteristics, either!) •God has used them to magnify His grace and truth towards me and in me and if all I ever had was “easy street” in the past then all I’d ever be is someone who can handle easy things…but God has a bigger calling on my life…a more fierce fight that He has worked in preparation towards me and for that I am thankful! •I had a dream that I was about to enter into a fight, like that was my profession – like boxing…but I wasn’t ready and I was afraid. April was there and she fed me good food before the fight and gave me some Excedrin so that the pain and swelling would be curtailed somehow…and yet I knew I wasn’t ready…and then I entered the hotel room that was reserved for me prior to the fight and it was like a mansion…and reminders of all of my past fights were all around…and I learned that I was undefeated and extremely skilled…then I was drowned in confidence and even excitement…inspired and thrilled to go fight… •You see, God uses what you’ve been through, what He’s taken you through, even tough people and bad leaders (those that say and do not do) to prepare you in courage, skill and wisdom for what is yet ahead…time to look for God’s heart in it friend and stop the complaining…trust God and watch for Him…He is there and He is at work…and so for me and my house, respect and revere those that are ordained and over you in authority lest you squander your training and arrive at the next fight, the next contest, the next trial and test…weak and filled with fear…when through God and day by day, moment to moment eyes on Him you could show up a champion…unbeaten and unbeatable! Matthew Chapter 23 Verse 4 •Truly the very definition of a bad leader…one that says and does not do…the life and activity is inconsistent with their own messaging and also…one that lays their burdens on the people rather than taking upon themselves the burdens of the people. Now that we know that, we can define, (in context of this scripture) good leadership. A leader that lives in consistency with what they teach and a leader that gives no burden that they themselves are not willing to bear. Matthew Chapter 23 Verse 5a •Jesus taught at the Sermon on the Mount, “Take heed to yourselves, (police yourselves in this), that you do not your righteous acts before men, to be seen by men, for I say to you, you have your reward.” And when He talked about giving He said, “Don’t sound the trumpet like the Pharisees who make a big deal out of what they give…but when you give, do it in secret not letting your right hand know what your left hand is doing.” •And He continued, “When you pray, don’t be like the Pharisees who like to stand in the street corners that they may be seen by men but go into your closet, shut the door…” And He said, “When you fast, don’t be like the Pharisees, who go around with sad faces looking so drained but anoint your face with oil that you don’t appear at all to men to be fasting…” •I love what Chuck Smith said on this passage, “Be careful that you don’t get caught in this religious sham, where outward demonstration for others to see or experience your spiritual awesomeness takes away one iota of true spiritual worship!” Chuck continued with a story…, “Some fellow came up to me Thursday night after service and said, "I stood up tonight while they were singing, and I was worshiping the Lord, and someone came up and told me to sit down, and I was just there worshiping the Lord." I said, "Well, whoever told you to sit down, told you right." I said, "If everybody else is sitting down, and you are standing, then all you are doing is drawing attention to you. We are not here to be attracted to you; we are here to be attracted to Jesus Christ." •The fact is that my old nature, the nature that wants attention and accolade and wants approval from others…how spiritual that I am and all…that old nature is constantly activated and at war against the true things of the spirit and so we ought to do what Jesus said and take heed to ourselves so that not only our own worship is solely about what it should be about, God and not us, but also we ought to take heed that we aren’t dragging others out of worship by taking attention away from the Lord! Matthew Chapter 23 Verses 5 – 10 •It’s so true…that even in this church, I am not the rabbi, the father or the teacher…all of those belong only to God…even in the teaching of God’s Word…If it is not God interweaving in my own heart the Word of God and crafting each sermonic message then it’s all a waste. The lesson may intrigue, inform or even entertain…but in the end…the word not mixed with faith profits nothing… •And so we have Sundays and Wednesdays where folks tell me, “That message was JUST for me!” It happens often! And I know that there are 1,000 different ways (maybe even inexhaustible ways) to unpack and apply each truth of each verse and yet God selects certain ones for certain sermons for this certain church…and therefore, if anything hits the mark and if anything produces fruit…best believe it is fruit of the Spirit and NOT fruit of the human teacher… Matthew Chapter 23 Verses 11 – 12 •This is a point that Jesus has made before and what’s interesting is that normally people assess and evaluate greatness by how many people serve them but Jesus says in the Kingdom of God it’s different…greatness is estimated by how we serve and honor others… •And then a powerfully true statement…whoever exalts himself…forces others to recognize them as someone, and many times, someone superior…God will humble. But whoever humbles himself and gives of himself in service to others, God will recognize as someone… Matthew Chapter 23 Verse 13 •Now that’s a huge statement and I just want to put a mental highlight on what Jesus just said. “For you neither go in yourselves,” present tense, “Nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.” Present tense. God’s desire is for us to enter into eternal life…now…presently! For the Spirit of God to enter our heart of hearts and introduce us today to our Creator, Savior, Father and King! To prepare us and equip us for the contest we are in…first for our own souls and then for the souls of those around us…