Jesus Covers It All

October 21, 2012

 

Matthew 8:12-17

Continuing in our our study of Matthew, we see that Peter was married. Many times in the Bible we see the disciples with Jesus but here we see that the disciples have families because they are at Peter’s house. When they went to the house Jesus saw that Peter’s mother-in-law was sick. Jesus observed that she was not doing her usually things and she was lying down sick. There is no request here like the leper and centurion had made. There is simply an observation made by Jesus. He didn’t wait for a request He just touched her and the fever left. With that one touch she was healed and not because a request was made.

Jesus' encounter here is two verses long. In our other explorations in this series they are much longer. But here He saw, He touched, and she was healed. This tells us that Jesus is always watching over us. We can’t say I have aches and pains all over my body and you only touched my knee. We forget that God didn’t have to touch us at all. Any touch we receive from God deserves our praise. We are never out of His sight or far from his touch. The question is, Do we expect His touch?

Now there where many people here to witness this event, as in the case of the leper and the centurion where multitudes were following Jesus. Peter’s mother-in-law was healed in the morning and by the evening people were bringing those who were demon possessed to Jesus. Jesus cast out these spirits with a word. Jesus did nothing that was out of line with the Father that was foretold - Isaiah 53:4.

V17 – Jesus covers it all, no matter what the situation is. Jesus reached out to the leper. The centurion was not Jewish but he was able to come to Jesus with a request and have it be fulfilled. He even covers you when you don’t make the request as with Peter’s mother-in-law. There are holes in healthcare but there are no holes in Jesus-care.

In our lives this means that no matter what we are going through, when we feel like an outcast, when other people bring us, when there is a spiritual need, even when we don’t make the request, God covers us. We may want things to go right all the time but that doesn’t always happen.

No matter what the future holds God will cover us.

Pastor Pete

Faith Works When You Know & Understand its Author

October 14, 2012

 

Matthew 8:5-13

Jesus didn’t come to die for the world but he came to die for the individuals in the world. He loved the world but died for mankind, for the world dwellers. It is about saving the people in the world. The world is groaning, waiting for the Lord’s return. It groans for God’s repair, while we destroy it. Yet and still God seeks to save us.

V6: In the passage, Jesus is entering Capernaum. The centurion is waiting for Jesus. He is a high ranking official with status and power in Rome. We find out that his servant is sick and because of the centurion's status he has probably gotten doctors to look at him to no avail. His servant was so sick, it was to the point of them not being able to move.

We must have absolute trust. This is a servant, someone the centurion does not have to care about. He doesn’t see this person as just a body, he cares about this person's welfare. No one else can help so the centurion waits for Jesus. He has absolute trust that Jesus can heal his servant.

We need a humble heart. When Jesus arrives, the centurion states his case and Jesus says I will come and heal him. The centurion says he is not worthy to have Jesus come into his house. All he asked of Jesus was to speak a word. The centurion lives in a very nice place but he says that his house is not good enough for Jesus to come to. The centurion believed that just a word would do.

V10: Jesus is telling us something. A lot of us will sit down with the law and miss Jesus, miss the Gospel, miss the truth. This is because you will have a faith that is about the head and not the heart. People go to church with their head and do not have Jesus in their heart. God gets tossed out and religion is what we live by.

V11-12: Many people think that they will be going to glory but Jesus will tell them I don’t know you. Jesus is trying to warn us to examine ourselves. The centurion had a non-visible acceptance of Jesus. That is what Jesus asks of us, non-visible acceptance. He didn’t need Jesus to come and do it, he just needed him to say it. And when Jesus said it the centurion went home knowing it was done.

Faith works when we know and understand its author. God sent His Son to go and find us and save us. Just like the centurion when himself to seek Jesus for the healing of his servant. To understand who he is, we must humble ourselves and know that he is working on our case and give him praise. He gives us the choice.

 

Pastor Pete

Lord, If You’re Willing, I am Waiting

October 7, 2012

Matthew 8:1-4

If you find a good teacher you will see what they are teaching next semester. We do that with church as well. If we are motivated by what is said by Joel Olsteen or T.D. Jakes, etc you will follow them. Here the temple is empty and the multitudes are following Jesus. The Pharisees are not happy about this. The people were following them but compared to Jesus they were sorely lacking.

In Matthew 8:1-4, we encounter a leper who is segregated from all others but he positions himself  to be in the path so that he could talk to Jesus so he would be healed. He believed that if he could just get to Jesus, if he just positioned himself to be near Him, he would be healed. When we pray do we believe that God is all powerful? Do we position ourselves to talk to Jesus? Do we believe that he can do anything for us? The leper knew that Jesus could heal him. The leper knew Jesus could if it was His will. Do we go to God like that? Do we know that He can?

Jesus says that He will as He is reaching out to touch us. Our God, no matter what is going on around us and what the world says our shame is, the Lord is approaching us to touch us and draw us to himself. He wants that one on one relationship with us.

V3: The multitude is following but this man gets in the way because he wanted Jesus to change his life. God wants to change our situation; First, our spiritual situation and then our physical situation. This leper was waiting for Jesus to pass. How long was he waiting? We don’t know but he said, if you are willing I am waiting. That is how our attitude must be. Lord, no matter how long if you are willing, I am waiting.

V4: Jesus tells the man to tell no one. In order to be restored to society he had to go to the priest. to be declared clean. We often times don’t go back to where we can be restored. Jesus is saying go straight to the priest to be declared clean so that you may be restored so that it may be a testimony to everyone else. What God does for us is a testimony of what he has done and can do. God was calling him to be an obedient witness.

Where do we stand in the things of our lives? Is our attitude, Lord if you’re willing I am waiting? Hebrews 11:6 says, it is about faith. We must continue to read his Word so that we give Him access to our lives. And we must believe His Word. (Rev 22:18) If our position is that God’s Word has a flaw then the truth is not in us. Therefore, if we agree with God we need to pray and ask him if He is willing to fix it. We have to be waiting knowing that He can. Keep a mind of prayer, knowing that He is willing and worship Him.

 

Pastor Pete

Communion: The Table of Faith - October

October 7, 2012

1 Corinthians 11:23

The Lord’s Supper is a supper of faith. This supper means our sins are paid for. If we had to face the punishment for our sins we would stand guilt and would perish. The cup, representing his blood was shed for us that our sins would be washed away.

This supper is a practice of faith and is only for believers. If you don’t belief what just said and has merit then participating is just going through the motions. This table means being able to live our lives according to God’s Word and allowing no one to change our minds. This table is faith.

Pastor Pete