What did Jesus say? “All of you will be made to
stumble because of Me...”
It would have been better for all the disciples to
agree with Jesus than to think they could alter the
course of human history. Everything we do in this
life fulfills the Word of God one way or another.
Instead of fighting God’s Word, we need to learn to
surrender to it, to accept and understand Father
knows best. No one has ever proven God wrong.
Ever.
Remember Me
March 1, 2020 • Mike Osthimer • Matthew 26
Jesus Christ is transforming an ancient “Seder”
meal into a different meaning. No longer does this
speak up the temporary physical bondage out of
Egypt but the permanent spiritual deliverance from
sin. It's my blood. It's my body that is broken. And
Jesus said,
"You will do this often and you will do it in remembrance of me.
Undenying Love
February 23, 2020 • Mike Osthimer • Matthew 26:14–35
14 Then one of the twelve, called Judas
Iscariot, went to the chief priests
Judas as one of the 12
Only 12 people in human history had the privilege
Judas had.
Judas proved to be a bad man. English philosopher
and statesman Francis Bacon once said,
"A bad
man is worst when he pretends to be a saint."
15 and said,
"What are you willing to give me if
I deliver Him to you?" And they counted out to
him thirty pieces of silver.
What will you give me?
What they offered Judas says everything about the
worth the chief priests and elders placed on Jesus.
30 pieces of silver for a slave that was gored to
death by an ox of a neighbor.
Exodus 21:32 “If the ox gores a male or female
servant, he shall give to their master thirty
shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned”
Judas Iscariot put the value of Jesus equal to that of
a gored slave. Wow!
The sin of covetous. The ungodly desire for more.
“When I want something more than I want God”
All sin leads to death. First its spiritual death and
then ultimately its physical death. The first thing that
goes with the sin of covetousness is my personal
relationship with Jesus. It no longer brings me
pleasure, its no longer enough. I begin to
compromise my relationship with Jesus for more of
something else. The pursuit of wealth, the pursuit of
a relationship, the pursuit of anything that causes
willful disobedience to the Word and will of God for
my life.
Working While You Wait
January 26, 2020 • Mike Osthimer • Matthew 25:30–46
Pretty much all theologians believe that what we are reading here in Matthews gospel is prophetic, meaning it it going to take place in the future at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ to this earth, following the Rapture of the church and the 7 year tribulation marked by the abomination that causes desolation. They also believe the text has a practical application too.
Watching, Waiting, Working
January 19, 2020 • Mike Osthimer • Matthew 25:1–30
Here in chapter 25 Jesus continues on as there was no chapter break in Jesus sermon. It’s hard to imagine Jesus reaching a point in the message and then Peter walking out and saying, “hey folks, we are going to take a 15 minute break here. If you need to use the restroom or check on your sheep nows the time to do so as Jesus is coming back to deliver the rest of His sermon in just a few minutes… Thank you…
Here is chapter 25 Jesus gives to more parables and then further revelation of His Second Coming. J.Vernon McGee said from reading Jesus teaching of the Olivet Discourse its as if you can see the whole world from the top of the Mount of Olives.
Prophecy…. Future told in advance… Our Bible answers for us how everything started in the beginning and how it’s all going to end in the future one day. We don’t have to live in fear or worry or doubt. Matthew’s gospel account presents Jesus as King and teaches us our King is Coming so we need to be watching for Him, waiting for His return and be working, be about His business when He comes back.
Ready Watching and Waiting
January 12, 2020 • Mike Osthimer • Matthew 24—25
You Can Do Hard Things
December 8, 2019 • Mike Osthimer • Matthew 24:13
As we study Matthew 24 is not only applicable prophetically dealing with the future events regarding the Second Coming of Jesus and His dealings specifically with the nation of Israel but also presently, for us here today in this world, Jesus said we would have tribulations.
I have shared many times from this pulpit… You are either in a trial, coming out of a trial or being prepared for a trial… Trials are a part of life. A life of purpose…
Our Christian life is a race to be run… a race to be won…
Matthew 24:1-8
December 1, 2019 • Mike Osthimer
A number of years ago, Peter W. Stoner and Robert C. Newman wrote a book entitled Science Speaks. The book was based on the science of probability and vouched for by the American Scientific Affiliation. It set out the odds of any one man in all of history fulfilling even only eight of the 60 major prophecies (and 270 ramifications) fulfilled by the life of Christ.
The probability that Jesus of Nazareth could have fulfilled even eight such prophecies would be only 1 in 1017. That's 1 in 100, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000.
7 Woes
November 24, 2019 • Mike Osthimer • Matthew 23:13–39
Here in Matthew 23 Jesus gives His last public sermon before going to the Cross. It’s a scathing rebuke of the religious leaders of His day, the Scribes and the Pharisee’s who taught about God but did not love God – they did not enter the kingdom of heaven themselves, nor did they let others enter. They preached God but converted people to dead religion, thus making those converts twice as much sons of hell as they themselves were.
Filled with intense righteous anger, Jesus had perfect anger wrapped in loving compassion. I can read it but its not in me. Jesus alone can hate and love perfectly…
The Warning
November 17, 2019 • Mike Osthimer • Matthew 23
In chapter 23 we are in the last week of Jesus life. He spent teaching those that wanted to listen to what He had to say not about heaven or the life to come but He gave a warning. This is Jesus last public message. He is speaking to the multitudes, made up of the Scribes, and Pharisee’s and Jesus own disciples. Jesus has a crowd and uses this as a teachable moment. Jesus begins chapter 23 speaking to the multitudes and His disciples in verses 1-12 and the rest of the chapter in verses 13 on He will address the Scribes and Pharisee’s directly with 8 woes
The core issue Jesus is speaking to is hypocrisy. Saying one thing and doing another.
There is a Pharisee living in all of us. We need the Bible to speak to these areas’
If we are to properly represent Jesus in the world we need to pay attention to these teachings and warnings…
Passing The Test
November 10, 2019 • Mike Osthimer • Matthew 22:15–46
Here in chapter 22 we find Jesus being put to the test and yet in the end its Jesus who asks the difficult questions. John 5:39 reminds us, “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.”
One of my favorite children’s ministry stories is of the little boy named Johnny who was in the 4 year olds class. His teacher asked the class. “Can anyone tell me what has a long fury tail, loves to climb trees and collects nuts and stores them for the winter?” All the children looked at each other and raised their hands except little Johnny sitting in the back of the class. The teacher asked the little boy, “Johnny, do you know the answer?” Johnny hesitantly answered, “I know the answer is Jesus but it sure sounds like a squirrel to me.”
The good news of the Gospel this morning is, Jesus is the answer! Amen!
Dressed For Success
November 3, 2019 • Mike Osthimer • Matthew 22
If you were with us last week Chapter 21 ended with two parables illustrating that Jesus acted with the authority of the Father and the Son. Now, chapter 22 opens with the third and final parable in this series, a parable that illustrates Jesus carried the authority of the Spirit as well.
What's On Your Tree
October 27, 2019 • Mike Osthimer • Matthew 21:17–46
The revelation of the Old Testament is human need and the revelation of the New Testament is divine supply.
This is in the morning in the scene here is Monday, the last week of Jesus public ministry known as the Passion week of Jesus, where He will go to the Cross, suffer and die, be buried and rise again. He has made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Sunday and cleared out the temple and the money changers and then left to Bethany to the house of Mary and Martha and Lazarus. On Monday morning Jesus is heading back into the city.
He had been warmly embraced on Sunday. He rode His donkey into Jerusalem to the cheers of the crowd - but today is Monday and we see just how fickle people can be. One day is all it takes to go from Hero to Zero.
The Jewish leaders are determined to trap Jesus or discredit Him. The Temple is filled with tension. By the end of the day the Jewish religious establishment will solidify their decision to murder Jesus - and we'll find Jesus retreating to the Mount of Olives weeping over the rejection of the Jews and the destruction they will bring upon themselves.
This infamous Monday was the last time Jesus entered the Temple. It was the day the Jews rejected Jesus – and the day God rejected them.
Just Do It!
October 20, 2019 • Mike Osthimer
89 chapters all together in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
4 chapters cover the first 30 years of Jesus life
85 chapters cover the last 3 1/2 of Jesus life
29 chapters cover the last week of Jesus life
All 4 Gospels cover the last week of Jesus life so that makes it important for us to study it too.
Here in Matthew 21, The disciples are learning the lesson that when Jesus gives you a command, just do what he says.
Like the old Nike Advertisement, “Just do it.”
Have Mercy On Me Jesus!
October 6, 2019 • Mike Osthimer • Matthew 20:17–34
Coming up to the end of Jesus earthly ministry…the year of opposition is upon Him.
Disciples aren’t getting that Jesus is about to go to the Cross.
Yet Jesus is very patient… no such thing as immediate maturity…
