Get Wisdom (September 19, 2021)

Proverbs 4:5-19

Introduction: We have more access to information and knowledge than ever before, but we are still so confused, conflicted, and divided. What must we do? The book of Proverbs teaches us that wisdom is the missing piece of the puzzle, the lost treasure of our time. We must rediscover it, ourselves and as a church, if we are to stand firm in a world drowning in information but lacking in wisdom. This Fall, let’s come together to “get wisdom” and allow it to reorient our lives, our families, and our communities.  

What is Wisdom? | Wisdom is more than just knowledge. We can all think of people who are knowledgeable but not  wise. Wisdom is related to it but clearly something more. We can define wisdom as the masterful skill of applying  knowledge and understanding to everyday life in all of its fluctuating circumstances. It cannot be acquired hastily as if  cramming for a test, or in a vacuum as if studying it in a laboratory. It is not indifferent to the particular details in our  lives as if it were a uniform standard that everyone can apply in the same way. The bible tells us it takes time, skill,  character, prayer and community to develop. 

The challenges of our time require wisdom. As we deal with the pandemic and all the associated questions it has raised; our deep political divides; cultural conflicts over race, justice, gender, and sexuality and how all these things have created divisions in the church… what can we get that will help?! Proverbs tells us there’s an answer - wisdom.

1. Why we need to get Wisdom 

We could quickly address this “why” question by pointing to the text. God tells us to “get wisdom,” (five times!) so  that’s the end of it. Not so fast. If we zoom out, we see that Proverbs is trying to tell us not only that we should  prioritize wisdom because God tells us to, but because wisdom has priority by its very nature. How can this be? One reason is embedded in Proverbs 4:7 - “The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get  insight.” In English, it sounds redundant, but in Hebrew, the meaning is made more explicit by considering the force of  the second couplet. The starting point of getting wisdom is realizing that getting wisdom is the starting point. 

Another reason wisdom has priority is that wisdom describes the way God works in reality. In this way, it is the very  fabric of creation. Consider the use of “beginning” in Proverbs 8:22-23: “The Lord possessed me at the beginning of his  work, the first of his acts of old. Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth.” Wisdom holds a  place of priority because it was with God at the beginning before the earth. This priority has a profound impact upon  us because if wisdom is related to God from the beginning, and we are trying to get wisdom, then getting after wisdom  is really about getting after God. To live wisely is to live “with the grain of life” as designed by God in a way that gives  Him priority and primacy in everything. 

2. What happens if we don’t get Wisdom 

It is important to understand why we need to get wisdom, but we ought not to think this is a “when I get around to it”  sort of thing. Why? Because we don’t have time to think in this way. Our passage in Prov 4:10-19 is also meant to show  us the urgency of getting wisdom. In these verses, a father speaks to his son about life in the form of a journey of two  paths. One is the path of wisdom, and the other is the path of the wicked. The father commends the path of wisdom as  one full of life and righteousness “like the dawn of day” (4:18). The path of the wicked is the opposite, like “deep  darkness, they don’t even know over what they stumble” (4:19). Do you see where this is going? 

According to Proverbs, you are on one of these paths right now. If that isn’t challenging enough, consider that the longer  we walk on either one of them, the harder it is to move back to the other. It is not always easy to walk in wisdom, but it 

gets better with time and experience. Life becomes more clear to us, and it becomes more difficult to leave the path.  But the same is true if we walk on the opposite path. Going too far in the dark is a recipe for disaster. If we don’t get  wisdom our path leads to darkness and death. Proverbs is saying, how long will we hit the snooze button before you  realize it’s too late? The time to make a decisive choice is now. Ray Ortlund captures the application of Proverbs 4 well:  “Whichever you choose, it will cost you all you have. To get wisdom you have to give up everything. To not choose  wisdom will take everything from you in the end.” 

3. How we get Wisdom 

Ok, good. You’re awake now and you want to know how we do actually get wisdom. Proverbs establishes our starting point:“the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (9:10). Certainly, this does not mean that we live hiding under our blankets, but that we live in reverential awe of our great, holy, and righteous God. He does not exist to conform to us, but us to Him. We must bring this kind of respect for God into every part of our thinking, being and doing. Indeed, this kind of fear gives us the best first step on the path of wisdom, but many miss how Proverbs shows us that it is love that prompts us to choose wisdom and continue forward. Proverbs 4:6-9 motivates us with the language of love - “Do not forsake her, love her and she will guard you” (4:6). We can only get wisdom and keep hold of wisdom by seeing “her” beauty and becoming besotted by her and the life of beauty and grace that is given to the one who embraces her.

So, fear and love together guide us on the path of wisdom… and that path leads us straight to Jesus. Paul reminds us that “In him [Jesus] are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col 2:3). In Jesus, we see how the God we must respect and revere is also the God who loves us despite our tendency to wander into the way of wickedness. He will give us wisdom because he wants to restore us to the beautiful lives he created us to live. Jesus gave everything to give us back this life. He tells us to give up anything that keeps us from getting it. In his wisdom God made a way for us. In Christ, he has straightened our path, and by His Spirit, he invites us to learn to walk in wisdom. This is good news!

REFLECT OR DISCUSS 

1. What about this sermon most impacted you or left you with questions? 

2. How would you define wisdom to others? What patterns do you notice between your response and other  responses? What is unique about biblical descriptions of wisdom? In what ways is it different from  knowledge? 

3. What stands out to you about how wisdom is described in Proverbs 8:22ff? Are you encouraged, concerned, or  confused in any way about its relation to God?  

4. Consider Ray Ortlund’s quote about wisdom: “Whichever you choose it will cost you all you have. To get  wisdom you have to give up everything. To not choose wisdom will take everything from you in the end.” What does this have to say about the urgency of wisdom? Does it resonate with you? for our times? 

5. James 3:13-18 shows us the two paths in practice (the path of wisdom and the path of the wicked). James says  a life off of the path of God’s wisdom is characterized by “envy and selfish ambition”. In other words, when you  are off the path of God’s wisdom you are not content with the life you have (envy) and you spend most of your  energy on trying to get the life you want for yourself (selfish ambition). In contrast, getting wisdom is  characterized by contentment, peace, authenticity and gentleness.  

6. Where do you most need to get this “wisdom” from above in your life?  

7. What are some ways you hit the “snooze” button on things that are good for you? What are the “splinters” you  have right now for living against the grain of God’s good design for life? What would it look like for you to stop  hitting snooze? 

8. What do you think the “fear of the Lord” looks like? How do you know when you have it? when you don’t? How  is it recovered when we lose it? How is it the most rational and logical reason to get wisdom? 

9. If the life of wisdom has been most completely lived out in the life of Jesus, how does that motivate you not  just to know wisdom is good for you but to be drawn in by the irresistible beauty of wisdom?

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Forgetting and Remembering (May 16, 2021)

Matthew 15:29-39

Introduction | As we look at Matthew chapters 13-20, we see that during this time of his ministry, Jesus begins to clearly reveal more of who he is and what he came to do. As he does this, his disciples, the crowds, the religious leaders, and bible scholars of his time all misinterpret and him! How? Why? The answer is that they (and we) all saw Jesus through the filter of their expectations, agendas, and ideologies. The goal of this series is that we would each set aside our filters to see Jesus as He really is – in all his fulness.  

1. The Purpose of Repeating 

The story of this passage deals with something we have seen before. Jesus feeds 4,000 people in this passage. This is remarkably similar to the feeding of the 5,000 a few chapters before! As we read a story that seems like a repeat, it’s  natural for us to ask, “Why did this happen twice, and why does Matthew want us to know that it happened twice?” The  answer is the same for why we repeat things. We want people to remember things that are important to us and that  we believe are important for them (and that they seem to always forget!). Here’s the point: There are truths in these two stories that God wants us to remember. He wants them to get in deep, to be like second nature to us, to get them  into our spiritual muscle memory. When God repeats something, He wants us to pay close attention. 

2. The Problem of Forgetting 

When reading this story, we can’t help but ask, “How could the disciples possibly forget the prior miracle in which  Jesus fed 5,000 people (!) before their very eyes?” They encounter almost the exact same situation and ask in verse 33,  “Where could we get enough bread in this desolate place to feed such a crowd?” The issue was not their intelligence or  dulness but their forgetfulness. The humbling challenge of this text is to consider how this happens to us all the time.  John Calvin says of this passage, “There is not a day on which a similar indifference does not steal upon us; and we  ought to be the more careful not to allow our minds to be drawn away from the contemplation of divine benefits.”  

The Bible teaches that one of the main sources of our discouragement, disconnection, cynicism, fear, and anxiety is the problem of forgetfulness. The Old Testament is helpful here. Consider Deuteronomy 4:9, “Only be on your guard and diligently watch yourselves, so that you don’t forget the things your eyes have seen…” or Deuteronomy 6:12, “be careful not to forget the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery.” It is clear throughout the bible that we all suffer from spiritual amnesia. Both Scripture and experience teach us that we all so easily forget God. When things are good, we think, I’m good! I don’t really need God. When things are hard, we forget how God has faithfully provided in the past. We forget how God has provided for our needs. It is forgetfulness that leads to both spiritual drift (in good times) and spiritual discouragement (in hard times).

3. The Power of Remembering 

But Jesus is a gracious teacher, even in our times of forgetfulness. When the disciples were again worried about having  enough bread in 16:9-10, Jesus says: “Don’t you understand yet? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five  thousand and how many baskets you collected? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand and how many large baskets  you collected?” Jesus points the disciples and us to the purpose of a repeated miracle to help us remember who he is. Many of us are caught up in learning new information about God or having fresh experiences of God. Perhaps now is the  time to realize that remembering is just as important - if not more -than acquiring new information. The Greek word for  “remember” in this passage is in the present tense and stresses a need for sustained activity. It means spending time  and effort bringing something to the forefront of your mind and heart rather than just passively recalling something.  

This passage certainly calls attention, in general, to the power of remembering but more importantly these stories are  about remembering specific truths about Jesus. Here is what God wants us to get deep into us, to become second  nature, in our spiritual muscle memory:

1. Jesus works where we least expect him to – Jesus busted everyone’s categories. He fed a Gentile crowd  (the 4000) just like he fed a Jewish crowd (5000). He provided a feast for pagan Gentiles in a desolate  place, ie the least likely place you’d expect God to work. Here’s the lesson - There is no god-forsaken place  or situation beyond the power of Jesus Christ. We need to remember this. When we are tempted to write people off, when see a situation that seems hopeless to us, when we think things are too far gone. We need  to remember - Jesus works where we least expect Him to. 

2. Jesus will provide when it seems impossible to us – Jesus not only works exactly where we would least  expect Him too, He also provides when it seems impossible to us. When we look at our present or ahead to  our future with worry and anxiety wondering how we’ll make it. When we are filled with doubt because  we can’t see how things will work out. We need to remember – Jesus will provide when it seems  impossible to us. The feeding miracles are stories of provision. Wherever Jesus leads, he will provide what  we need.  

3. Jesus takes what is not enough and turns it into more than enough – In both stories, Jesus intentionally  caused his disciples to see/feel their inadequacy. What they had was not enough. Is this not something we  all struggle with? Do you ever feel as if you are not enough? In both stories of feeding thousands of people,  Jesus wanted his disciples to realize that what they had was enough because of Him. It was more than enough - “everyone ate and was satisfied (14:20).” When we bring what we have to Jesus, he takes what is  not enough and turns it into more than enough.  

4. Lastly, even when we forget Jesus, he will never forget us - This is the Gospel. When the disciples had forgotten what Jesus had done and what it meant for them, he didn’t berate or disown them. He patiently reminded them of what they had forget. Isaiah 49:15 says, “Can a woman forget her nursing child, or lack compassion for the child of her womb? Even if these forget, yet I will not forget you. Look, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands”. In Jesus, the metaphorical hands of Isaiah have become the literal scarred hands of the Son of God. If Jesus gave Himself for us, if the evidence of his love and compassion is eternally imprinted on his hands, how will He ever forget us? Let’s never forget this.
   

REFLECT OR DISCUSS 

1. What about this sermon most impacted you or left you with questions? 

2. What are the important similarities or differences that stuck out to you between the feeding of the 5,000 and  the feeding of the 4,000? 

3. What is the importance of repetition in Scripture? Why do you think God repeats things? Has there ever been  a time in your life in which you felt that God repeated something for you in order for you to learn from it? 

4. Do you agree that one of our greatest problems is the problem of forgetfulness? Why do we forget important  and significant things God has taught/shown us? How does this show up in your life? In what ways has the  problem of forgetfulness impacted you recently? 

5. One of the main themes in Psalm 119 (the longest Psalm in the Bible) is the concept of meditation. Six times in  the Psalm he says “I will not forget” or “I do not forget” (v16, 61, 83, 93, 109, 141, 176). As a group look at these  verses - what situations does this tell us remembering is important?  

6. What are some practical ways that you remember God? How do some of our core spiritual disciplines help us  remember (weekly worship, scripture, prayer, singing, others?) 

7. Of the 4 specific repeated lessons mentioned above – which do you most need to remember right now? Why?  

8. Read Isaiah 49;15. What does it mean that God promises to never forget us? How would your life be different if  you never forgot that this was true?

Download the full pdf here.

The Filter of our Fear (May 2, 2021)

Matthew 14:22-33

Introduction: One thing this past year has shown us is the reality and power of the filters we all have. How is it that the exact same facts or events (a virus, masks, a vaccine, an election, a killing that causes racial tension) can cause wildly divergent reactions? How can we all look at the exact same thing and see something totally different? There are a few ways we could answer these questions but there is one answer that now seems undeniable. We all have filters that we use to see, understand, and interpret the world.

The Filter of our Fear | Fear is like a filter, isn’t it? When we feel afraid, whatever we fear seems so large as to obstruct our view of anything else. We often try to reason ourselves out of it or act rationally, but it just doesn’t seem to work sometimes. Perhaps our fears become a pattern so that our behavior is continually changed whenever we interact with particular things, people, or events. In this way, what we fear becomes a master over us, it controls us, and it becomes a filter that we cannot shake off.

The story of this passage deals with fear in a storm. Jesus challenged his disciples to face their fear of a storm with faith in Him. The same lesson applies to us today should we consider how life brings many storms our way. During these moments, we might experience the debilitating feeling of fear that causes tunnel vision. Is it possible to overcome this filter of fear? Yes! It is possible because one greater than the storm is with us. We must not allow Jesus to escape the center of our vision during a storm. As we consider how to apply this lesson, let’s consider some things we should expect in the face of a storm.

1. What NOT to Expect in the Storm
The first important lesson in this story deals with a very important principle of life as a Christian. Matthew makes it clear that we should never expect a storm-free life or a life free from fear. This is a lesson that many people either miss entirely or forget about during their journey as a Christian. Verse 22 reads that Jesus made the disciples get into a boat and go ahead of him. The original language indicates that this is a strong and forceful command. So the disciples were entirely in the will of Jesus when they stepped into the boat and made their way out into the water to later face a storm.

Sometimes we believe in a kind of Christianity that filters out the storms, adversities, or trials. We do this because it feels comfortable. The concept is simple: if we are obedient and have enough faith already, then Jesus will give us a life of perfect peace and comfort. This cannot be further from the truth! Not only here in this passage, but throughout the New Testament, there are countless examples of suffering and adversity associated with following Jesus. It is true that Christianity promises an eventual end to the storms beyond this life. But it is also true that Christianity promises something more realistic and better for our life in this world than our faulty conceptions.

2. What To Expect in the Storm

a) Expect Fear and Doubt | Realistic
While Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, the disciples were busy at sea working against battering waves. Verse 24 reads that they were still a long way from their destination. The timeline reveals that they had been rowing for nine hours or so and that it was very early in the morning. The disciples were stuck, weary, cold, and in the dark! No matter how spiritual you think you are, this scenario would create fear and doubt. Like many of us, the disciples were probably wondering: where is Jesus?

Verse 25 reads that Jesus came toward them, walking on the sea. Peter is the first to respond and boldly requests that Jesus command him out onto the water. Here, Peter is an example of faith and fear/doubt – in the same person!. Peter stepped out in faith on the water, but when he noticed the strength of the wind, he became afraid and began to sink. In his eyes, the storm became bigger than Jesus. Though he initially expressed courageous faith, the fear set in again, and he lost sight of Jesus. Even if we were as bold as Peter, there is no way to be 100% prepared for all storms. Fear and doubt are always mixed in.

b) Expect Jesus to Come Toward You | Better
Even if our faith is little, and the storm is great, we can expect Jesus to come toward us as he did with his disciples. Jesus comes to us and speaks as he did in verse 27: “Take courage, it is I. Don’t be afraid.” The Greek implies that Jesus is not just issuing a reminder, but a statement of identity - I AM. These words are all we need to get through a storm. But even if we falter like Peter and begin to sink. Jesus reaches out to save us. When Peter called out to be saved, Jesus immediately took hold of him and challenged his doubt. We can lose sight of Jesus, but he will never lose sight of us. Faith is enough - even little, sinking, desperate faith.

.The Gospel is clear in this passage: Jesus was alone on a mountain in prayer and communion with his Father. He became aware of a storm that was beyond the strength of his disciples. They were afraid, stuck, and weary. Jesus came down and entered the storm to rescue them. For us, Jesus came down from heaven to enter into our storm of sin, evil, and death. He alone rescues us from the great storm, and he will guide us through any and all storms! Praise be to God!

3. What to Expect After the Storm

The storm is not evidence of Jesus’ lack of love for his disciples, but the opposite. Sometimes there are lessons we can only really learn from a circumstance as troubling as a storm. In verse 33, the disciples exclaim, “Truly, you are the Son of God.” This is the heart of Christian growth and maturity. When we move from the faith of assent to the faith that adores, then we have understood true saving faith.

So what can we expect after the storm? First, we can expect sincere worship. Only when we trust Jesus in the storm can we shed our filter of fear. Without the filter of fear, we see Jesus for who he truly is - a mighty Savior we can always trust. Second, we can expect to be safe with Jesus. Even if life has many storms that have yet to cross our path, we can rest in Jesus, who has saved us from the greatest of all storms in the Gospel. To know Jesus is to know for sure that whatever storms we encounter, He will bring us into an everlasting safety (2 Tim. 4:18).

“Through many dangers, toils and snares
We have already come.
T'was Grace that brought us safe thus far
And Grace will lead us home.

REFLECT OR DISCUSS

1. What about this sermon most impacted you or left you with questions?

2. When you think about a filter of fear, what are the fears that immediately come to your mind? Are there any patterns you notice that keep you from seeing anything beyond your fears?

3. Have you ever thought that the Christian life should be free from fear and doubt? How prevalent is this comfortable concept of Christianity? What are the problems you might run into if you embrace this view?

4. In what ways have you experienced fear and doubt as a Christian? Read 2 Corinthians 1:8-11. Have you ever experienced anything like what Paul describes? How did Paul overcome his fear and doubt and what impact should it have on us?

5. C. H. Spurgeon once said, “He who fears God has nothing else to fear.” In what ways can a greater fear be the antidote for another fear? Does this concept encourage you about facing fearful circumstances in the future?

6. Have you ever stepped out boldly in faith only to realize that you became quickly overwhelmed? How does this passage comfort us should that ever occur?

7. Read Psalm 107:24-32. How many similarities can you find related to the Matthew passage? What does this passage reveal to you about God’s desire to keep his people safe?

8. In what ways have you learned from storms in your life that could not have been learned in a classroom? How does this affect the way you worship God? How does it altar your expectations for the future?

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5 + 2 = 5,000 (Apr 18, 2021)

Matthew 14:13-21

Introduction: One thing this past year has shown us is the reality and power of the filters we all have. How is it that the exact same facts or events (a virus, masks, a vaccine, an election, a killing that causes racial tension) can cause wildly divergent reactions? How can we all look at the exact same thing and see something totally different? There are a few ways we could answer these questions but there is one answer that now seems undeniable. We all have filters that we use to see, understand, and interpret the world.

The story in this passage – the feeding of the 5000 – is well-known, and among all the miracles of Jesus it has a unique/important place: it is the only miracle story that is told in ALL 4 Gospels. There must have been something special about this particular miracle that caused all 4 writers to include it. Let’s try to explore that by looking at the two very clear focuses in this story, neither of which are on the miracle itself!

1. Who Jesus is For Us - Verse 13 tells us that “when Jesus heard about it he withdrew from there by boat to a remote place to be alone”. Whether “it” refers to the execution of John the Baptist or simply that King Herod had begun paying attention to him, Jesus was still certainly dealing with the rejection he had received from his hometown and even his own family.

This ‘remote place’ was supposed to be a retreat - to pray, to rest, to grieve, to think. But as Jesus is getting out of the boat, he sees thousands of people there waiting for Him! In the midst of his very real human exhaustion and grief, this passage shows us:

a) Jesus is compassionate beyond our comprehension. This is not a fringe part of his character and person – it is an essential part of who Jesus is, repeated over and over again in the Gospels. If you come to him with your need, He is never irritated, He will never be busier with more important things, he will never be uncaring. There is never a bad time! He will never say ‘I told you so, you deserve it, serves you right’. Jesus will ALWAYS meet your every need with compassion beyond comprehension.

b) Jesus is powerful beyond our understanding. What Jesus can do does not fit into our categories. There have been many attempts over the years to filter this story through our modern ideas of what is possible/ scientific. But this miracle can’t be understood by adding up with human factors alone - there is a divine factor in the equation. If Jesus is who He says He is – the Son of God – that is the factor changes the equation.

.The point of this miracle is how these 2 things come together in Jesus: Raw miraculous power alone isn’t enough. Deep and heartfelt compassion alone won’t cut it either. But in Jesus we see compassion joined to power, where He can understand and comfort our needs no matter what and we can trust that he is able to meet them, oftentimes in ways we can’t understand or comprehend.

We tend to filter out Jesus’ compassion based on wrong perceptions of his distance, sovereignty, or our own worthiness. Others filter out his power based on our limited human understanding of what can see (it feels hopeless!) and understand (he can’t possibly be working in this!). But this story assures us – at all times, in all our need - Jesus is compassionate beyond our comprehension, He is powerful beyond our understanding.

2. What Jesus Can Do Through Us

This miracle story is focused not on the miracle itself, but the one who did the miracle. BUT what is so unique about this miracle (compared to all the other ones) is how Jesus did this miracle – through his disciples. A number of commentators have noted a hint of possible impatience/exhaustion/frustration in the disciples’ interaction with Jesus. We know from the other Gospels that they had been sent out on mission around Galilee, and part of the reason for the retreat into the wilderness was for them to rest.

In our current Covid-afflicted times, perhaps we can relate to the disciples’ desire to have Jesus “send the crowds away”. Many (if not most!) of us probably feel like ‘I don’t have the time, or the energy, or the heart, the desire! What do I have left to give? If anything, it’s only just a little.’ There is real truth here, that the demands of our particular season of life do give rise to limits. But we look all around and see overwhelming need, and underwhelming resources – probably much like the disciples.

Given the circumstances, the disciples were being realistic – they were drained, they were empty, and knew their own limits. Sending the crowds away probably felt like a reasonable solution. In fact, the worst thing the disciples could have done was to attempt the task without acknowledging how inadequate 5 loaves and 2 fish (a common laborer’s meal) would be. Those most out of touch with reality are those who believe they can carry out their calling from God in their own resources/capacity. Those most in touch with reality know they are inadequate in and of themselves.

Jesus then says to them ‘bring them to Me.’ The disciples were looking at the desert, the massive need, their meager resources – the reality. Jesus responds by acknowledging the math, BUT reminding them that they’ve left out one important variable – Him. If we count out Jesus, we are missing the central reality of the situation. Jesus called them to a task beyond them, but He gave them the grace to do it – that is the promise here. If Jesus asks us to do something, he will give us the grace to do it. If we believe Jesus is who He said He is, the most central reality in any situation is Jesus. We can never factor him out. He is compassionate beyond our comprehension, powerful beyond our understanding and wise beyond our perception. That’s the lesson of the parable = 5+2+Jesus = enough.

REFLECT OR DISCUSS

1. What about this sermon most impacted you or left you with questions? Here is what one scholar said about the filters we bring to Jesus:

   It is vitally important for us to develop a clear vision of Jesus. For many people, an understanding of Jesus is cluttered with fragmented or distorted images. We are often more familiar with the pieces of Jesus’ image that our culture, denomination, church, or fellowship group has excised for its own use than we are with the full biblical picture. (Michael Wilkins, Matthew)

   Do you agree with this? How do you see this in your own life and experience?

2. How would you describe the compassion of Jesus based on this passage? Where are you most in need (and maybe doubting) the compassion of Jesus? How can this story encourage you?

3. How would you describe the power of Jesus based on this passage? Where are you most struggling to believe in Jesus’ power? How does this story encourage you?

4. In addition to compassion and power there was one more thing mentioned in the sermon that this miracle revealed about Jesus – his wisdom. He asked the disciples to do something that seemed foolish - there was no way it made sense to them. This is meant to show the us that Jesus is wise beyond our perception. How has this proven true in the past for you? Where do you most need to remember this in your life?

5. Where do you most feel inadequate and not enough to be/do what Jesus has called you to be/do? ie Where do you most feel like “All I have is 5 loaves and 2 fish”?

6. What might it look like for you to bring what you have for Jesus and trust that he will use it and multiply in ways you can’t understand or comprehend? What is holding you back from doing this?

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Jesus Unfiltered (Apr 11, 2021)

Matthew 13:53-14:2

Introduction: One thing this past year has shown us is the reality and power of the filters we all have. How is it that the exact same facts or events (a virus, masks, a vaccine, an election, a killing that causes racial tension) can cause wildly divergent reactions? How can we all look at the exact same thing and see something totally different? There are a few ways we could answer these questions but there is one answer that now seems undeniable. We all have filters that we use to see, understand, and interpret the world.

Jesus Message = Proclaim Justice, Jesus Mission = Lead Justice to Victory

In this series on the Gospel of Matthew 13-20, we will explore how these filters work to get in the way of us seeing Jesus for who He is. In this section of Matthew, two things happen simultaneously – 1) Jesus more clearly reveals who He is & what He came to do and 2) People (even his own disciples) more blatantly misunderstand and misinterpret Him. How does this happen? How might it be happening with us?

1. We All Have Filters - These stories show us the reality and power of our filters in two different settings.

1) Jesus Hometown – In 13:53-55, Jesus is blowing away his hometown with his teaching. They all seem to know he has also done miraculous and unexplainable things. But that’s not what they are seeing. They say, “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t this Mary’s son? Don’t we know his brothers and sisters?” In other words, they are saying, “We cannot believe that someone from this town, from this ordinary family, with an ordinary human occupation, with brothers and sisters that we know could do these things - so we can’t believe it.” Why? Not because of the evidence, or what they were hearing or seeing. It was because of the filter they had. He didn’t fit their categories for a Messiah, so they didn’t believe. They wanted a Messiah on their terms. What Jesus was doing and saying couldn’t get through.

2) Herod – In 14:1-2, we see a totally different filter at work than the people of Nazareth. Herod the tetrarch (a term for a ruler of a territory) heard about all the same things that the town of Nazareth was seeing. He concluded it was John the Baptist raised from the dead. This was a pretty outlandish thing to believe. Why did he believe this? Was it because of the evidence or what he had heard about Jesus or the sources he was hearing it from? No – it was because of the filter he had. Having put John to death earlier (as told in 14:3-12), he saw Jesus through the filter own fears, paranoia and guilt.

The point of putting these two stories side by side is to show us that people did not look at or listen to Jesus honestly or reasonably. Why? Because of their filters. This passage is one of the clearest places in the Bible that shows us the power of the filters we have in our thinking and beliefs. The question for us is not – do you have a filter? It’s do you know yours? Do you know how you filter out things about Jesus you don’t want to see or hear?

2. Jesus and Our Filters

How do we know when Jesus is challenging our filters? How can we be better able to see ours? This passage shows us how. When one or both of the two things happen in us that happened in Jesus’ hometown - astonishment and offense.

• Astonishment - In 13:54, we read that the people in Jesus’ hometown were “astonished”. The word means to strike out with a blow; to strike out of one's senses; to be dumbfounded. This is what happens when you meet the real Jesus and consider Him as He is. The Jesus we meet in the New Testament is unlike any person anyone has ever encountered. If you haven’t been astonished by Jesus. You have a filter. When you find yourself saying, “It’s too good to be true”; “He’s too good to be true” you know Jesus is bumping up against your filter..

• Offense - In 13:57, we read that the people of Nazareth were also offended by Jesus. They (and likely Herod too) were scandalized at Jesus demand for total loyalty and allegiance to Him. Isn’t this Mary’s son. How can he be saying these things? Who is Jesus to speak with authority over us? Herod likely thought, “Another prophet come to call me out? Who is he to say anything about how I live my life, what is right/wrong for me?” If you have not been offended or scandalized, by Jesus. You have a filter. The Jesus of the New Testament is more demanding than any person anyone has ever encountered. When you find yourself saying, “It’s too hard to be true, “He’s asking too much to be true”, you know Jesus is bumping up against your filter.

3. Jesus Unfiltered

How do we put our filters down and see Jesus for who He is? The answer given here is faith. It was because of “their unbelief” that Jesus did not do many miracles in Nazareth (v58). The power of Jesus is withheld when people keep their filters up in unbelief. But faith sounds like an overly simplistic and very pious answer, “Just have faith!” Note that faith, according to this passage, is not opposed to reason, evidence and thinking. It is in line with reason and evidence. The unreasonable and unthinking people in the passage are those who refuse to see Jesus for who He is. Their faith in their filters was too strong to see and consider Jesus for who He really was.

Here is what we need to admit – the thing holding up our filters is faith. It’s our faith or trust in the categories we have, our understanding of the world, the things we believe we must to have to be happy, the things we believe give us status. We must be willing to examine and question our faith in these things when we experience Jesus “bumping up against them”. Faith begins and grows when we look to Jesus – not through the filters of own preference, culture, politics or desires – but as He is in all his astonishing and offensive fullness.

REFLECT OR DISCUSS

1. What about this sermon most impacted you or left you with questions? Do you agree that this past year has shown us the reality and power of the filters we all have? How have you seen this?

2. A Filter is something that lets what you want in and keeps what you don’t want out. This isn’t always a bad thing but can be if we are keeping parts of Jesus out of our lives. What filter(s) do you have? (A few mentioned in the sermon were the conservative filter, the progressive filter and the American filter – just to suggest some non-controversial ones 😉.

3. When were you last astonished by Jesus (blown away, dumbfounded)? When were you last offended by Jesus (scandalized)? If it’s been a while, why do you think this is?

4. How have you seen God remove and change the filters you have used to see and listen to Him and His word?

5. While it seems like a tragic ending for Jesus’ hometown and own household, this isn’t the end of the story. We know from history that two of his brothers did end up believing and becoming leaders in the early church (James, Jude). Even when we resist Him with our filters, Jesus doesn’t give up on us. How does this give you hope for yourself? for the church? for others (whose filters you can see)?

BONUS – FOR REFLECTION & PRAYER

The scariest part of this passage for Christians is that Jesus was least appreciated where he was best known. In “his hometown, his household”. There is a message here for us today. A message for the church. To those who are most familiar with Jesus.

At this point in the story of Jesus there is a major transition that is a sober warning to people who think they know Jesus. Jesus never went back to a synagogue after this. This is pretty fascinating and extremely significant. Why is it a big deal? Synagogues were the official place for Jewish people to gather, hear teaching, worship. After this, Jesus decided to work outside the normal religious structures of his day. If you wanted to find Jesus, you had to be willing to put down your filters and meet Him, see Him for who He was, on his terms. He wouldn’t be found in a synagogue.

There are many dead churches throughout history and around the world. Churches that end up becoming museums. There are many vibrant and thriving churches throughout history and around the world. Churches that experience the presence of Jesus and live in the power of His kingdom. What’s the difference? Those willing to put down their filters and meet the full and true Jesus for who He is – those are the churches that are alive with his presence and power.

One significant reason we and our churches drift into unhealth is that we neglect or under-emphasize or even turn away from aspects of Christ himself that we find confusing or threatening. ... We get healthy again when we stop miniaturizing Christ and rediscover his actual grandeur and we allow him, in our churches, to be all that in fact he is. -Ray Ortlund

Spend time as a group praying for each person and for our church to put down our filters to see Jesus for all of who He is.

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