Matthew 23 contains the seven woes Jesus pronounces upon the scribes and the Pharisees and his lament over Jerusalem. These warnings really were reminders to the leaders of the early church of what it means to be a servant of the kingdom of heaven. The sermon divides the text into sections and then attempts to explain the section, look at how it points us to Jesus, and then how we might apply it. Whether you are a scribe or other leader in the church or not, if you follow Jesus you need to remember to point people to Jesus.

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Labels: christ, lament, Matthew, Pharisees, shema, warning, woe

Matthew 22:15-46 is a war of words over the Word of God. We all have questions about the Word of God that we would like Jesus to answer but the Pharisees and Sadducees had much more sinister intentions. Ultimately the Scriptures are about the person and work of Jesus Christ. Thus in answer to the controversy over paying the tax of the denarius the point is that Jesus is the very image of the invisible God and His work is one of renewing His people in the image of God. And in the encounter with the Sadducees, the point is that Jesus is the bride-groom of the church and His work is one of purifying her to be His virgin bride. And in the final contest with the Pharisees, Jesus is the Lord of David because Jesus is the Lord of Lords and King of Kings and if David was the man after God's own heart how much more so was this the case for Jesus who died for His neighbors' sins. Jesus is the King who conquers hearts. These three themes are all connected because they are all about total devotion to God. Rendering ourselves to God because we are being renewed in His image. Loving Jesus as our only husband. And loving the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, and mind and your neighbor as yourself. TOTAL devotion.

Click here or the title to listen.

Labels: bride, christ, David, heart, image of God, marriage, Matthew, Pharisees, Sadducees, shema

Matthew 22:15-46 is a war of words over the Word of God. We all have questions about the Word of God that we would like Jesus to answer but the Pharisees and Sadducees had much more sinister intentions. Ultimately the Scriptures are about the person and work of Jesus Christ. Thus in answer to the controversy over paying the tax of the denarius the point is that Jesus is the very image of the invisible God and His work is one of renewing His people in the image of God. And in the encounter with the Sadducees, the point is that Jesus is the bride-groom of the church and His work is one of purifying her to be His virgin bride. And in the final contest with the Pharisees, Jesus is the Lord of David because Jesus is the Lord of Lords and King of Kings and if David was the man after God's own heart how much more so was this the case for Jesus who died for His neighbors' sins. Jesus is the King who conquers hearts. These three themes are all connected because they are all about total devotion to God. Rendering ourselves to God because we are being renewed in His image. Loving Jesus as our only husband. And loving the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, and mind and your neighbor as yourself. TOTAL devotion.


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Labels: bride, christ, David, heart, image of God, Matthew, Pharisees, Sadducees, shema

See previous description.

Click here to listen to the sermon at Shepard Memorial.

Labels: burnt offerings, grain offerings, heart, joshua, peace offerings, sacrifices, serve, shema, soul, witness, worship

Joshua 22 reminds the people of Israel that no matter where they go they need to return to the place God has chosen and serve Him. How? First, they were to observe all that Moses commanded with all their heart and soul. Second, in particular this means they were to serve at Shiloh. Thus the theme is that they are to offer their burnt offerings, sacrifices, and peace offerings in loving service of the LORD their God with all their heart and soul at Shiloh. Applying this text to the generations after AD 70 (the destruction of Jerusalem prophesied by Jesus) takes some study. For Judaism this study is Torah and Talmud study, and especially reading the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4 especially). This application of the text is appropriate because of many points of contact between Deuteronomy 6:4ff and Joshua 22. But the verse has a different meaning for Christians. The difference is Jesus Christ. Jesus is LORD. And His work of death on the cross, resurrection to glory, and sending the Spirit on Pentecost changes the purpose of this text for us to observing all that the LORD Jesus Christ commanded and serving sacrifices of praise in the congregation, which is the tabernacle of God. May we all testify and witness to our faith in Him in the congregation. Amen.

Click here or title in order to listen to the sermon at Peter Creek.

Labels: burnt offerings, grain offerings, heart, joshua, peace offerings, sacrifices, serve, shema, soul, witness, worship