The Apostles Of The King

THE APOSTLES OF THE KING

　

Our Text: Matthew 10:1-42

The work of salvation was accomplished by Jesus "alone", at the Cross. The witness of His testimony and His resurrection can only be done by God's Word and by His "disciples". To be a disciple of Jesus Christ one must first accept and trust Him as Lord and as Savior.

The King needed ambassadors to carry His message and He still needs them.

An "ambassador" is: As an ambassador is sent to a foreign court to declare the will of the king, so every Christian, is Christ's ambassador sent to wherever He may send to declare the will of his King.

Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

We will now learn how our Lord, who is truly the Lord of the Harvest, sends forth His laborers. He does it here as the King, who came to offer the Kingdom to Israel.

These first ones sent forth, the Apostles, would announce the same message Jesus had just preached, the sermon on the mount and the same message of repentance of John the Baptist. This message was altogether in connection to the Kingdom and ended with the full rejection of the Kingdom by the nation of Israel:

The Apostle John says it best:

Joh 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

Joh 1:11 He came unto his own, and [his own received him not].

Joh 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

Jesus Christ was a Jew, of Judea. People could tell just by looking at Him that He was a Jew and He was rejected by His people the Jews.

Joh 4:9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, [How is it that thou, being a Jew], askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.

After the "Rapture of the Church" this same message will be preached again by 144,000 Jews during the great tribulation.

Rev 7:3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, [till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads].

We cannot ignore any of the Word of God, but this Chapter 10 of the book of Matthew is not the same commandment given to the Christian disciple which is:

Mat 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

Mat 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

Mat 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

This chapter 10 is devoted to the twelve apostles:

1.) We will see their names.

2.) We will see their "first" commission.

3.) We will see their provisions.

4,) We will see their opposition.

5.) We will see their assistant.

6.) We will see some reaction to their ministry.

7.) We will see some rewards of their ministry.

*****Our Text:

Mat 10:1 And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.

Mat 10:2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;

Mat 10:3 Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;

Mat 10:4 Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.

Mat 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:

Mat 10:6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Mat 10:7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Mat 10:8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

Mat 10:9 Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses,

Mat 10:10 Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat.

***What is an "Apostle"?

The term "apostle" comes from the Greek word "apostolosos" and it basically [means one who is sent]. In a sense it is the same as the Latin word "missionary" or one who is sent forth for a specific purpose.

These chosen disciples, "Apostles", were empowered (not brute force but by authority from God) with many abilities, among those were the power to heal all disease and cleanse all manner evilness.

Notice:

1.) They received a personal calling.

2.) They were discipled by the Lord Jesus Himself.

3.) They were sent out as "ambassadors" to the King, (King Jesus).

These things are similar to the calling to those of the Church:

A.) It will always be personal calling from Our Lord.

B.) The Church is discipled by the Word Of God, which are the Words of Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

C.) The Church is sent out to Witness to all we come in contact with.

Each one showed a love and loyalty to Christ at this time.

D.) Each Christian must be loyal Christ Jesus also. (faith)

Each Apostle had to meet certain requirements:

E.) Each Christian must meet certain requirements:

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

*****To be an Apostle:

1.) They had to have seen Jesus:

1Co 9:1 Am I not an apostle? am I not free? [have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord]? are not ye my work in the Lord?

2.) They would have had to fellowship with Jesus:

Act 1:21 Wherefore of these men [which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,

Act 1:22 Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection].

3.) They had to be chosen by Jesus:

Eph 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

Eph 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

4.) It is these Apostles that laid the foundation, which is of Christ Jesus Our Lord, of the Church:

Eph 2:16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

Eph 2:17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.

Eph 2:18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

Eph 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

Eph 2:20 [And are built upon the foundation of the apostles] and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

Eph 2:21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

Eph 2:22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

The names of the Apostles:

1.) Simon Peter *****[who hears and obeys, the "rock"]

2.) Andrew*****(brother of Simon Peter)[a strong man, manly]

3.) James***** (The son of Zebedee)[supplanter, with an abundant portion)

4.) John*****(Brother of James and son of Zebedee)[Jehovah is gracious]

5.) Philip***** [lover of horses, warlike]

6.) Bartholomew***** [son that suspends the waters]

7.) Thomas***** [a twin]

8.) Matthew***** [gift of Jehovah, a reward]

9.) James*****(the son of Alphaeus) [supplanter that changes]

10.) Lebbaeus Thaddaeus***** [man of heart, large hearted, courageous]

11.) Simon***** (the Canaanite, Simon Zelotes) [the zealous rock]

12.) Judas Iscariot***** (the betrayer)[man of murder, a hireling]

Judas Iscariot was replaced with Matthias, by the Word of God.

Matthias means [a gift of God]

These twelve apostles have a definite relation with Israel:

Mat 19:28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, [ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel].

The New Jerusalem:

Rev 21:12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, [and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel]:

Rev 21:13 On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.

Rev 21:14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

We can be sure that it is Matthias and not Paul that will judge the nation of Israel, and his name will be on one of those gates.

The Holy Spirit, guided this selection of Matthias by the Word of God.

The Scriptures had said:

Psa 109:8 Let his days be few; and let another take his office.

Act 1:20 For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take.

Act 1:22 Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.

Act 1:23 And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.

Act 1:26 And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

We can see that the Apostle Paul recognized Mathias as an apostle:

1Co 15:5 And that he was seen of Cephas, [then of the twelve]:

Paul goes on to say:

1Co 15:8 And last of all he was seen of me also, [as of one born out of due time].

Paul separates himself from them as being different from these twelve:

Gal 1:1 Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)

Paul said he was specially chosen by the Lord for a specific purpose.

It is through Paul who had no earthly connections but chosen by the God of Glory after His resurrection, that the Gospel of Grace and the mystery that was formally hidden might be made known. To the Church, Jesus Christ is not King as such, but He is the Lord of Glory. It is from His Glory as the Head of the Body of Christ that He gives His gifts to the Church.

Eph 4:4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

Eph 4:5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

Eph 4:6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

Eph 4:7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

Eph 4:8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

Eph 4:9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?

Eph 4:10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)

Eph 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

Eph 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

Eph 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

IT IS EASY TO SEE THAT THERE CAN BE NO APOSTLES TODAY!

1Pe 1:8 [Whom having not seen], ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:

We have yet to see Him but we will see Him one day and one day soon:

1Jn 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, [when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is].

*****In verse 6 we can see the first commission of these Apostles. They were to go only to the lost sheep of Israel. Not to the Gentiles, nor to any mixed race of the Jews.

It would be after the resurrection of Christ that these things would change:

The second commission of the Apostles:

Luk 24:46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:

Luk 24:47 And that repentance and [remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem].

In this commandment of the Lord, these Apostles were to preach that the promised Kingdom for Israel, and through Israel to all the nations, was about to come. This is not the message of the Church but this will be the message preached again after the Rapture of the Church.

If not for the God of the second chance how many of us could be saved! I would burn in Hell if not for the God of mercy and grace and the God of the second and even third chance.

There are at least two principles that we can observe that do not change in the Church age:

1.) The Gospel is to be free!

The Church is not a business to make money.

2.) The Lord will provide for those He chooses!

We must have faith in God's providing power before we take it on our own to step out. Mankind will let the missionary down, and the preacher down, and the Church down. It is our faith in the providing power of God that will keep us going.

Jesus ask later:

Luk 22:35 And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing.

These Apostles depended on the hospitality of others as they ministered the Word given to them by Jesus. They could only stay with believers!

The Apostles were not to compromise the message given to them of Christ Jesus. There is no compromising the Gospel. God says what He means and God means what He says.

*****Our Text:

Mat 10:14 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.

Mat 10:15 Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.

Mat 10:16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

Mat 10:17 But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;

In this time of Jesus, the refusal to show hospitality was equal to a refusal to hear one's message. If you shook the dust off your feet that would tell those around you that you considered their place to be unclean. This was a sign that they had rejected the kingdom of heaven while Jesus was still on this earth in the flesh!

The Bible says:

Act 13:49 And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region.

Act 13:50 But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts.

Act 13:51 But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium.

When we study our Bible we know that the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah was a complete destruction and their location never found, yet Jesus says:

"It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city".

Of course the judgment mentioned here is the "Great White Throne Judgment" of the Book of Revelation:

Rev 20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

Rev 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

Rev 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

Rev 20:15 And [whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire].

Are there different degrees of judgment? This verse could indicate that this is true but there is no doubt that they all will be cast into that burning lake of fire.

*****Verse 16 gives another principle that we know to be true in all ages:

The instructions of Jesus at this point are instructions to all that are sent forth in the name of Jesus but these instruction will meet there fulfillment at the time of the great tribulation:

1.) Notice most of the opposition will come from organized religion:

Vs 17) "for they will deliver you up to the councils"

2.) And from governments:

Vs 18.) "ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake"

3.) And "All" must be saved to deliver this message:

Vs. 20) "For it is not ye that speak, [but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you]"

Joh 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

Joh 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

4.) There will be "Worldwide" persecution:

Vs 22.) "And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake"

5.) Then, The Second coming of the Lord;

Vs 23.) "Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come"

We know that some of these things took place in the Book of Acts and the Pauline Epistles. We know that some of these things take place in the day we live but we can see that the fulfillment of all these things will be in the time of the Great Tribulation. (Matthew 24-25)

The tribulation period will be a time of great opposition. Remember the Church will already be in Heaven.

The opposition will come from:

1.) Organized religion.

2.) Organized governments

3.) From ones own family.

All these things happen to some extent in our day but we will see this greatly increase as time goes by. At the time of tribulation these things will be worldwide, even in our own families.

God's people will need to be tough, tough-minded and still tender hearted.

At some point during the tribulation period Religion and Government will join hands: Rev 13.

The Antichrist will force the world to worship him and his false prophets.

Rev 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

There will be no natural affection:

2Ti 3:3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

2Ti 3:4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

2Ti 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

As Christians we must trust the Spirit of God to help us remember what the Lord has taught us. We must study to show ourselves worthy of His leadership:

Joh 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

The Bible we have been given "is" the "Word that Christ Jesus has said to us"!

We should not flee when persecution comes upon us!

*****Our Text:

Mat 10:24 The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.

Mat 10:25 It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?

Mat 10:26 Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.

The emphasis on this section of scripture is Vs 26, "Fear Not".

When we have a fear of confessing Christ openly, and many of us do, we are not fulfilling our obligation of confession to the Lord!

Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Rom 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and [with the mouth confession is made unto salvation].

The world has it's CIA, FBI, Massad, Interpol and others BUT:

God does not have a Secret Service!

Christ was persecuted, we will also be persecuted. However:

1Pe 3:12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.

1Pe 3:13 And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?

1Pe 3:14 But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and [be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;

1Pe 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear]:

1Pe 3:16 Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.

Why?

1.) God will bring everything to the light (Vs 26-27).

2.) We are to fear only God Himself (Vs 28).

For God will not condemn His children:

Joh 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

3.) God cares for His children (Vs 29-31).

A farthing would be about a half a penny in our money. You could get two sparrows for a half cent. To humans a sparrow was worthless but to God, He kept up with every life of this worthless bird. If God does that for this birds then He will do even more for His chosen children.

More and more in our age [the human life becomes more and more worthless to the societies we live in] but God will always be there for us:

Luk 12:24 Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: [how much more are ye better than the fowls?]

4.) God honor's those that confess Him (Vs 32-33)

a.) Jesus is our High Priest in Heaven.

b.) Jesus is our Advocate in Heaven.

1Jn 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

1Jn 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

5.) A Christian will always have conflict around them (Vs 34-39)

Eph 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

Eph 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Eph 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

If you put on armor you are preparing for war.

2Ti 2:3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

2Ti 2:4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

THERE IS NO MIDDLE GROUND IN THIS WAR!

6.) We can be a blessing to others (Vs 40-42)

When we become the children of God through faith in Christ:

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Joh 14:7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

We become disciples when we follow in the footsteps of Christ Jesus:

Luk 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

This is a daily walk and not a part time walk.

Let's Pray!

The Power Of The King

THE POWER OF THE KING

Text: Matthew Chapters 8-9

Our Focus Text: Matthew 8:1-17

As we have proceeded into the Book of Matthew we have seen:

1.) The Person of the King (Chapters 1-4)

2.) The Principles of the King (Chapters 5-7)

3.) We will now see the Powers of the King (Chapters 8-12)

If a King has no "Power" to accomplish His Will, what good are His Principles?

There are ten miracles mentioned in Chapters 8-9 but they are not in chronological order.

Matthew was led by the Holy Spirit to present Jesus as the King. Matthew uses these words to present Jesus Christ as the "Divine" King, the Jehovah of the Old Testament who had truly come to His own. To them He offers the kingdom and as we will soon see, they will reject Him and receive Him not. They actually say that these miracles were done through Beelzebub, the prince of the demons.

"THIS IS THE SIN OF BLASPHEMING THE HOLY SPIRIT"!

Christ will then break off His relationship with "His Own". We will talk more of this later.

We should ask our own selves, Why did our Lord perform miracles? If we look at our own Pastors we should see that they minister to the whole person. God is concerned about our temporal well being as well as our eternal happiness.

This not to say that our Pastors do miracles because that ended with the Apostles!

Christ Jesus ministered to the individual, a one on one relationship, that should be learned by all His followers.

Christ Jesus performed miracles to prove His claim of being the Messiah of Israel.

It makes me wonder what these false healers are trying to prove in our day.

The Bible says:

1Co 1:22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:

1Co 1:23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

1Co 1:24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

1Co 1:25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

Christ Jesus said he would fulfill everything written about Him:

Isa 29:18 And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.

Isa 29:19 The meek also shall increase their joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

Isa 35:4 Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.

Isa 35:5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.

Isa 35:6 Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.

We can see that we are also foolish to not believe in the miracles of Jesus Christ our Lord:

Heb 2:1 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.

Heb 2:2 For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;

Heb 2:3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

Heb 2:4 God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?

Christ Jesus also presented a saving truth to the people with His miracles. These miracles were "Sermons in Action".

What Christ did not do.

Jesus did not do a miracle to draw a crowd. Faith cannot be based on miracles.

OUR FAITH MUST BE BASED ON THE WORD OF GOD!

Jesus Christ exercised great power. His power is not limited.

Jesus had the power to change this world and he showed that power when He walked on this earth. The Healing power of Jesus is greater than any disease, but in each case if "faith" was not shown there would have been no healing.

It is a misinterpretation of scripture to teach that spiritual salvation will always result in the reversal of physical disease!

*****Our Text:

Mat 8:1 When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him.

Mat 8:2 And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

Mat 8:3 And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

Mat 8:4 And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

Matthew was a publican, a tax collector. He was hated by all Jews. Can it be by chance that he begins with a miracle of Jesus to the outcast of society. Lepers, Gentiles and women were considered out cast by many Jewish people.

The women of the middle east still suffer unduly in our day.

Many Pharisees would begin their day praying "I give thanks that I am a man not a woman, a Jew not a Gentile, a free man and not a slave."

They used that word "I" much to often. There is only one "I" and that the great "I Am" of the Bible.

The term "leprosy" (including leper, lepers, leprosy, leprous) occurs 68 times in the Bible—55 times in the Old Testament (Hebrew = tsara’ath) and 13 times in the New Testament (Greek = lepros, lepra).

In the Old Testament, the instances of leprosy most likely meant a variety of infectious skin diseases, and even mold and mildew on clothing and walls. The precise meaning of the leprosy in both the Old and New Testaments is still in dispute, but it probably includes the modern Hansen’s disease (especially in the New Testament) and most all infectious skin diseases.

References to leprosy have a different emphasis in the New Testament.

They stress God’s desire to heal. Jesus freely touched people with leprosy. While people with leprosy traditionally suffered banishment from family and neighbors, Jesus broke from the tradition. He treated the leper with compassion, touching and healing them.

We also know that leprosy is in "type" and a description of sin:

Isa 1:5 Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.

Isa 1:6 From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.

Isa 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

Those filthy rags would be rags used to wrap up the leper!

By understanding the leper we can understand more how God sees sin:

Lev 13:3 And the priest shall look on the plague in the skin of the flesh: and when the hair in the plague is turned white, and the plague in sight be deeper than the skin of his flesh, it is a plague of leprosy: and the priest shall look on him, and pronounce him unclean.

Sin is deeper than the outward skin!

Lev 13:18 The flesh also, in which, even in the skin thereof, was a boil, and is healed,

Sin spreads!

Lev 13:45 And the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent, and his head bare, and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean.

Lev 13:46 All the days wherein the plague shall be in him he shall be defiled; he is unclean: he shall dwell alone; without the camp shall his habitation be.

Sin defiles!

Lev 13:52 He shall therefore burn that garment, whether warp or woof, in woollen or in linen, or any thing of skin, wherein the plague is: for it is a fretting leprosy; it shall be burnt in the fire.

Sin is fit only for the fire!

When Christ Jesus touched this leper, He took his leprosy away but in "type" it is a picture of how He takes our sin away:

2Co 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

We can also notice that the ability of Christ to heal was not questioned but only Was He Willing To Heal?

1Ti 2:3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;

1Ti 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

We can tell that Lord Jesus was willing and still is!

Christ Jesus commanded this man not to tell other but to go to the priests. (Levitcus 14). We find that this man did not obey the Lord but he told everyone what the Lord had done.

Mar 1:45 But he went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter, insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places: and they came to him from every quarter.

There is another way to look at this healing in typology:

Leprosy was the most hated disease in the Bible! It had no remedy. The Holy Spirit has made leprosy a "type" of sin as we have shown. Only Jehovah could heal this disease.

Num 12:10 And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous.

Num 12:11 And Aaron said unto Moses, Alas, my lord, I beseech thee, lay not the sin upon us, wherein we have done foolishly, and wherein we have sinned.

Num 12:12 Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out of his mother's womb.

Num 12:13 And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee.

We know that leprosy represents sin but here it represents Israel.

The Bible says:

Isa 1:4 Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.

Isa 1:5 Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.

Isa 1:6 From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.

So in "type" we see Israel's Messiah, Jehovah-Jesus

Exo 6:3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.

As Christ Jesus cleansed this leper He would have also cleansed Israel at this time had they not rejected Him.

The Lord sends this leper to the priests by the law of Moses but this was proper until the death, the burial and resurrection of our Lord, when all believers are delivered from the law.

This day will come again to the nation of Israel when the King will ask His remnant to come unto Him:

Mal 4:2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

*****Our Text:

Mat 8:5 And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him,

Mat 8:6 And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.

Mat 8:7 And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.

Mat 8:8 The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.

Mat 8:9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.

Mat 8:10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.

Mat 8:11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.

Mat 8:12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Mat 8:13 And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.

We have previously discussed that Capernaum was a military town so it would not be unusual to see a Roman centurion. A centurion was an officer over a group up one hundred men. We do not find any centurion mentioned in the Bible that was not a gentleman or a man of high character.

This is the very first time we see a centurion in the Bible. They had a great sense of duty to Rome and to those that served under them. This particular centurion had learned to love Israel and the God of Israel. He had built a Synagogue for the people of this area. He evidently had a high regard for Christ Jesus and believed in His divine authority. It was not that Christ could heal his servant but rather would Christ heal this servant. Once he realized that Christ Jesus was willing to heal this man with the palsy (paralysis), then it was not neccessary for Jesus to travel to his home but to only say the word.

This centurion realized that Christ Jesus had the power of God and therefore all He had to do was say it was so and it would happen!

This is what the God of creation can do and no one else!

Look at this centurion:

1.) He was a man of war.

2.) He was a Gentile.

3.) He was a man of limited authority.

4.) But He was a man of great faith.

It was his great faith in Christ Jesus that allowed this miracle to happen.

This is an early indication that the Jews would not believe but that the Gentiles would believe on Christ Jesus.

What was the greatest statement of the centurion?

"I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only"

He understood that Jesus Christ was indeed God in the flesh. The Jews till this day have not come to this conclusion along with most others of this world.

When we read verse 11 it can be said that Jesus was referring to the fact that many Gentiles would join with"Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven" but without faith in the saving power of Christ none of their physical descendants would join them. Those that heard the kingdom offered by Christ and then rejected it would exclude themselves from this new kingdom.

They would forever live in the darkness of hell (the outer darkness, out side the light of the Lord God Jehovah)

Remember in the first miracle, the cleansing of the leper, stands for Jehovah among His people Israel.

Here now we see Christ who is absent and heals not by His touch but by His Word. This was a reminder that the spiritual position of the Gentiles "were far off".

Eph 2:11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;

Eph 2:12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

Eph 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

In this next miracle we will see that Christ will enter back into the house of Israel.

*****Our Text:

Mat 8:14 And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever.

Mat 8:15 And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them.

Mat 8:16 When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick:

Mat 8:17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.

In the healing of Peter's mother-in-law, we see a type of what will happen on the Second coming of Christ after the fulness of the Gentiles come in.

This sick mother is a type of Israel.

It would be good to point out that Jesus Christ knew Peter was a married man yet he still was chosen as an Apostle. The sanctity of marriage was approved by Christ even to the ministers of God. Some religions do not allow the minister to marry. We can see that this did not come from Jesus Christ nor the Bible.

Women did not hold a high position in Israel at this time of Jesus. Though this seems a minor miracle we can see that a blessing in the home can lead to a blessing in the entire community.

Mar 1:30 But Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever, and anon they tell him of her.

Mar 1:31 And he came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up; and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them.

Mar 1:32 And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils.

Mar 1:33 And all the city was gathered together at the door.

Matthew said that this time in the life of Jesus was a fulfillment of the prophet Isaiah:

Isa 53:4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

We can see that Jesus fulfilled this prophecy in His life and not with His death.

We can also see Jesus did not give His life for our sickness nor our griefs.

He did give His life for our "SIN"!

1Pe 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

1Pe 2:25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

Sin and sickness may go together at times, since sickness is a consequence of Adam's sin:

Gen 3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

Gen 3:18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;

Gen 3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

The Bible says:

Psa 103:2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

Psa 103:3 [Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases];

Psa 103:4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;

Psa 103:5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.

God has not obligated Himself to heal all disease BUT He has said He will forgive all sin and to save all that will believe on Him.

*****Again this closes out our lesson but we will try to highlight the remaining of chapters 8 and chapter nine:

(Verses 18-22)

We see the first time the phrase "Son of Man" is used in the Bible.

Because the opposition to the message of Jesus was low at this time, there were many who wanted to be His disciples.

They would not pay the price!

Jesus Christ was saying to this scribe to let the spiritually dead bury the physical dead.

In other words it is much better to preach the Gospel of Jesus in hope of salvation for the spiritually dead than to wait on you earthly father to die and to bury him.

This was not disrespectful and we must have our priorities right in the work of the Lord.

(Verses 23-27)

We will see that Christ Jesus never missed an opportunity to train His disciples.

Jesus was asleep because He was at perfect peace in the will of the Father. This is a lesson for all of us for this is exactly what the disciples should have done. They should have been in perfect peace, they had the Lord Jesus right in the boat with them.

They did not but chose instead to question if God really cares for us. Matthew shows in these verses the little faith of the Jew as compared to the great faith of the Gentile centurion.

(Verse 28-34)

In these verses we see what Satan can do for a man. He robs man of his sanity and his self control, fills him with fears, and robs a man of his family and friends.

We can see what society does for this man in Satan's control. Society can restrain him, isolate him, and threaten him but society cannot change this man.

Only Jesus can set us free!

Notice the prayers:

1.) The demons prayed to Jesus to allow them to go into the swine, which they also drove crazy.

2.) The citizens prayed for Christ Jesus to leave them alone.

3.) One of these that was possessed by these devils after being saved by Jesus, prayed to be allowed to be a disciple, but Jesus knew that he had such a great testimony and needed for him to be a witness in his home town.

This is what we are asked to do upon being saved, be a witness first to our family and friends!

We can also see that the demon world has faith in Christ and is well aware of their future:

Jas 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

We can see that the souls of these two men were much more important that the lives of those two thousand pigs!

(verse chapter 9:1-8)

What we see here is not only the faith of friends but we see that in the eyes of God sin is the greater evil to a man. This scripture does not say that all sickness is caused by sin nor does it say that forgiveness of sin will bring about physical healing also!

We already know God will sometimes heal every sickness except the last sickness or injury that takes us home to Heaven.

(Verse 9:9-17)

The call of Matthew:

Because Matthew was a tax collector, he was considered unclean and unfit to fellowship in Jewish society. He was under great financial obligation to Rome but we can see that he considered the authority of Jesus Christ to be greater than that of Rome. We can see he immediatly made a public showing of his relationship with Christ by having public feast.

Jesus came to save sinners and He made Himself available to them all (whosoever)!

If you are righteous in your own eyes, you will never accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior!

We see a picture of the ministry of Jesus:

1.) The Physician: to bring Spiritual healing to the sinner.

2.) The Bridegroom: to bring Spiritual joy to the lost.

3.) Christ Jesus did not come to patch us up but to make something new!

4.) Christ came to give Spiritual fulness.

Judaism cannot be filled with the New Wine of the Gospel.

Law and Grace will not mix!

(Verse 9:18-19, 23-26)

Jarius was a devout Jew, a leader of the synagogue, but he knew none of his faith in those things could help him. Even though Satan tried one more time to kill her, Jesus has the power over all life. We must learn to trust Jesus no matter our circumstances.

(Verse 9:20-22)

This woman had spent all the living she had on the doctors of her time. She was in despair and had no hope. By Jewish law her disease made her unable to be cleansed.

She was hopeless in this world!

We are all hopeless, with out the Lord Jesus Christ!

That hem referred to the tassels on the prayer shawl of Christ. By Jewish tradition a prayer shawl had 613 tassels around it's hem. One tassel for ever law given to them by Moses. This reminded them that they were God's people.

We can see that Jarius may have lacked faith so Jesus gave him the example of this woman who knew she only needed to touch the Hem of this garment.

It is not how strong our faith is that counts, IT IS TO WHOM THAT FAITH IS IN, THAT REALLY COUNTS!

Our faith must be in Jesus Christ Our Lord and in His Word!

(Verse 9:27-34)

Blindness is a "type" of Spiritual ignorance and unbelief:

Isa 6:10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; [lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed].

Rom 11:25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

Every sinner must be "born again" before he can see the things of God:

Joh 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

There is a difference in sickness and the work of Satan and his demon world:

Mat 10:7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Mat 10:8 [Heal the sick], cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, [cast out devils]: freely ye have received, freely give.

Every believer must be careful to grow spiritually or he can damage his spiritual vision:

2Pe 1:5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

2Pe 1:6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

2Pe 1:7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

2Pe 1:8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2Pe 1:9 [But he that lacketh these things is blind], and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

We see that the religious leaders of that time could not explain all the miracles of Jesus the Messiah, so they said His power came from Satan:

This is the Sin of Blaspheming the Holy Spirit!

We know that God had given His Spirit freely to Christ Jesus:

Mat 3:16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:

Mat 3:17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

All people had witnessed the miracle healing power of Christ. They had rejected not only the testimony of Christ but also the testimony of the Holy Spirit.

This the unpardonable sin! We will discuss this further in chapter 12.

(Verse 9:35-38)

We have seen that not only was Christ Jesus a healer but He preached the Word of God and taught the Old Testament as truth as He went. He was in the flesh so He could not do all the work alone. He needs others to help Him.

This is why the time was spent training disciples. Christ Jesus expects each and everyone of us to be His disciple and be busy about the Master's Business.

Joh 4:37 And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.

Joh 4:38 I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.

Let's Pray!

The King Instructs

The King Instructs

Text: Matthew 7:1-29

Focus: Matthew 7:1-14

No matter what other people think about what is called "The Sermon On The Mount", it has not been hard to see that the purpose of this message has been to instruct the disciples of the Lord. These chapters have not been a plan of salvation but instruction to the disciple, to the believer, to the follower of Christ Jesus. If we toss aside these words of Jesus Christ Our Lord then we have missed a pure training program for those of us who love Our Lord Jesus. It is only after salvation that we can begin in the work that God has called us to do.

Rom 12:5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

Rom 12:6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;

Rom 12:7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;

Rom 12:8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

Rom 12:9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.

Rom 12:10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;

Rom 12:11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;

Rom 12:12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;

Rom 12:13 Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.

We will learn in chapter seven how we should love our fellow disciples.

The scribes and Pharisees were guilty of exercising a false judgment about themselves, other people and even the Lord Jesus Christ. Their false judgment was an extension of their false righteousness.

These Pharisees made it a practice of setting themselves up as judges of all men and measuring others using themselves as the example.

We cannot forget the theme of this sermon of Christ Jesus:

Mat 5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

*****Our Text:

Mat 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.

Mat 7:2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

Mat 7:3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

Mat 7:4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?

Mat 7:5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

Mat 7:6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

Jesus Christ was not forbidding His disciples nor any that believe on Him to distinguish between "good and evil". He was not forbidding the believer to distinguish between truth and error in doctrine. Christ was not dealing with actions as much as He was dealing with the motives behind those actions.

The Apostle Paul wrote to the Church these words:

Php 1:9 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge [and in all judgment];

Php 1:10 [That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence] till the day of Christ;

Php 1:11 [Being filled with the fruits] of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

Those fruit are listed as:

Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

Gal 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Eph 5:9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)

Eph 5:10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

There is no doubt in my mind that the Holy Spirit led Paul to this example of the preaching of Jesus Christ.

The person who believes every preacher without judging his sermon by God's Word, or the person who accepts everyone that say they are spiritual but their works show that not to be true by the Word of God, will suffer from confusion and great spiritual loss.

If we accept the fact that we all will stand before Jesus at the Judgment Seat of Christ:

2Co 5:10 [For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ]; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

This is the judgment for the saved. You have to be saved to be here!

We will receive the things done in the body we call flesh. We will be judged by the work we have done for Christ since our salvation. If we accept the Lord Jesus as our Savour then we know this to be true.

Knowing this then we should judge our own selves and know that we abide by God's Word before we can discern between good and evil of others.

Heb 5:12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

Heb 5:13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.

Heb 5:14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, [even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil].

The Pharisees "played God" in their judgment of others and gave no thought that they would be judged of God.

We are being judged as Christians as we walk the walk of Christ Jesus:

Luk 6:37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:

Luk 6:38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

People judge us in our walk and we will receive exactly what we give. We will reap what we have sown:

Rom 2:1 Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.

When we judge our selves by God's Word we can then be prepared to serve others. Every Christian is obligated to help each other grow in "Grace".

Only God has true judgment:

Rom 2:2 But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.

Rom 2:3 And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?

These Pharisees criticized others to make there own selves look good, not before God, but before man.

Luk 18:10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.

Luk 18:11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

Luk 18:12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

Luk 18:13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

Luk 18:14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

There is a difference when we help our brothers to look good and not our own self.

If we cannot honestly face up to our own sin then while we are trying to get a piece of dust out of another one's eye, then that two by four in our own eye will not allow us to see properly. We can be of no help to anyone, the lost nor the saved.

God can see all the way into the heart, we cannot, no secret can be withheld from Him:

Rom 2:16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

So we have learned:

1.) Before we can even try to help our brothers and sisters in Christ we must self examine ourselves.

Jas 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

Jas 1:23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:

Jas 1:24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

Jas 1:25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

Jas 1:26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.

2.) We must also realize that as long as we are in this body of flesh we will have some sin. It is our faith in Jesus Christ that allows His forgiveness and He will restore us.

1Jn 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1Jn 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

*****A restored child of God can then be a help to his brothers and sisters in Christ.

As far as the lost, it is God that will judge the lost, our job is only to witness to them. Christians must realize that not everyone is a sheep.

Some people are dogs, or hogs, and some people are wolves in sheep's clothing.

This is the judgment that we have to make. We cannot allow the liberal church to pull the wool over our eyes.

God has given us some tools that we must use:

2Co 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

2Co 4:7 [But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God], and not of us.

We must not cheapen the Gospel of Jesus Christ by lacking discernment of good and evil.

We must be able to discern the liberal movement of the Church as wrong and as evil. We must stand up for the truth of the Gospel and in doing so we must judge those who teach such nonsense.

We must stand up for the Blood of the Cross.

We must stand up for the Virgin birth.

We must stand up for the Resurrection of Our Lord.

We must stand up for the Truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

We must stand on the Whole Truth of the Bible and not just the parts we like.

We cannot allow these pearls of the Gospel to be trampled on by anyone.

2Pe 2:20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.

2Pe 2:21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.

2Pe 2:22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

We cannot abuse the "Grace" of God.

We are to present the truth of the Gospel, judge among ourselves as believers and correct each other in love and also realize that to argue with an unbeliever will lessen our own testimony in most cases.

Even Jesus never spoke to Herod:

Luk 23:8 And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him.

Luk 23:9 Then he questioned with him in many words; [but he answered him nothing].

And the Apostle Paul would not argue with unbelievers:

Act 13:45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.

Act 13:46 Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, [we turn to the Gentiles].

Act 13:47 For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.

Act 13:48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

*****Our Text:

Mat 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

Mat 7:8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

Mat 7:9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?

Mat 7:10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?

Mat 7:11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

Christ knew that there will always be those that will not receive the Word of God so He returns to some additional teaching on prayer, and our prayer life.

We must remember this sermon was preached to the saved, it is not a sermon for salvation, but a sermon of instruction to disciples.

Our Lord had rejected the practice of prayer that the Pharisee used. Jesus now instructed on the true nature of prayer.

1.) If we keep on asking, He will keep on giving!

2.) If we keep seeking, we will find!

3.) If we keep knocking, He will continue to open the doors to allow His will to be done!

You know not everyone is called to be a preacher, or a teacher, or for some special office in the Church but everyone has been given this instruction in doing the will that God has for each and every one of us.

4.) We must all be persistent in our prayer life!

The reason for answered prayer lies in the attributes of the true Father, Our Father that is in Heaven.

He will never mock His children!

It is the Father's responsibility to provide!

God would never teach us these things if He was not willing to do them Himself!

God's faithfulness as a Father will not permit Him to deny the request of His children!

We must first pray to seek His direction and His wisdom for our lives and His will for each of us!

Jas 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

Jas 1:6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

Jas 1:7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

Jas 1:8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

*****Our Text:

Mat 7:12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

Mat 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

Mat 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Some people call this the "Golden Rule" but in reality it is really the basis of our attitude toward others. This principle only applies to believers! When we judge others this is the principle we should follow. A person who would project righteousness must do for others what that person would want someone to do for him if he was in the same situation.

If people would treat every neighbor as themselves, no neighbor would be mistreated!

Christ would never demand the righteousness of the Pharisees to enter the kingdom of heaven but He would demand the righteousness of the Law to enter in. To the believer, his righteousness must equal the righteousness of Christ. This can happen only one way!

The Bible says:

Rom 5:17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)

Rom 5:18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

Rom 5:19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

Rom 8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, [who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit].

Rom 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Rom 8:10 [And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness].

Rom 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

Gal 5:5 For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.

Eph 4:21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:

Eph 4:22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

Eph 4:23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

Eph 4:24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

1Pe 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

1Pe 2:25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

Mal 4:2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

If we want God's best for ourselves and for others for there will those that will resist God's Word.

A couple of things we need to remember:

1.) We are the salt of the earth. Salt is a preservative but we also know salt will burn and sting when it is poured on an open wound. There will be those that will oppose us.

2.) We are to be a bright and shining light for God and Christ but we must realize a bright light will expose the dirt of evil living and some will always want to stay in darkness so their dirt will be hid.

We will always have Pharisees in our world. These false prophets are still trying to deceive God's children. They will still teach a self-righteousness. They have fooled themselves into believing that they are righteous and all others are sinful in the eyes of God. We must remember what God says:

Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Christ gave us to more pictures for explanation:

There are only two roads to travel in this life. The road to Heaven and the road to Hell.

1.) The Broad way: (that leads to Hell)

This is the easy way, this is also the most popular way. Every religion seems to have this in mind when they tell us of their way to Heaven. Just because every one says they can follow their own path and that every road will lead to Heaven is simply not true. Just because they say this does not make it true.

God's people have always been a remnant. The Church will always be a small minority.

2.) The Narrow way: (that leads to Heaven)

The way to everlasting life is sometimes narrow, lonely, and costly.

We can walk on the broad path keeping our baggage of sin but to travel the narrow path we must give up all those things.

Jesus said the Christian walk would be a hard one.

Mat 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, [let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me].

The cross we bare will be painful at times!

Before we close let's high light the remaining chapter:

(Vs 15-20)

Since the beginning of creation every plant and every animal will reproduce it self after it's kind. In other words an apple tree will not produce bananas, and two cats will not produce a dog. I know what evolution says, but remember they have never found anything that has changed this basic law of God.

We know that good fruit comes from a good tree, but bad fruit comes from a bad tree. Those that have bad trees usually cut down the bad tree so it will not spoil the good tree. It is easy to see if you have a good fruit tree, wait till it produces fruit and you can tell from that point.

In a spiritual sense it is easily seen if a child of God has accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as his or her Savior by the fruit they bare. If you do not have a noticeably changed life then the fruit is bad.

False Prophets, false preachers, who teach a false doctrine will have this affect on those that sit in the pews. The fruit, (the results of their ministry) is false and cannot last.

The Apostle Paul had these words:

Act 20:29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.

Act 20:30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

You can still tell them by their fruit!

The person that believes a false doctrine will also never produce good fruit.

(Vs 21-29)

It does not matter what we think of our selves or really what others think of us, the final test of the child of God is what God thinks of us. What will God say when we stand before Him? The only way to prepare for God's judgment is to be in the will of God. Obedience to God is the true test of "faith"!

When a person is truly born again, that person will have the Holy Spirit living within them:

Rom 8:9 [But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you]. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

That same Spirit enables every child of God to know His will:

Rom 5:5 And hope maketh not ashamed; [because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us].

If you have the "love of God" within you, you will obey God and you will serve others! A light on a hill cannot be hid.

The words we say are not enough. Many preachers are not saved. Even Judas Iscariot was sent out to preach. Even miracles do not make you a child of God. Satan will use lying wonders to deceive the people during the tribulation period:

2Th 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

2Th 2:9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,

2Th 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

We are commanded, with love, to hear God's Word and then, be a doer of that Word:

Jas 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

Jas 1:23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:

Jas 1:24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

Jas 1:25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

That carries with it a knowledge of God's Word. If you do not know God's Word how can you know if the preacher knows God's Word.

If our faith in the Word of God does not lead us to good works after we are saved then we are as salt that has lost it's flavor:

Jas 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

We have built on the wrong foundation!

Luk 6:47 Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:

Luk 6:48 He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.

Luk 6:49 But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.

Your false profession of faith will not hold up at the judgment seat!

How can we judge ourselves?

1.) Have we paid the price, do we have a changed life?

2.) Does our faith hold up through the storms of life and will it still stand the test of God's judgment.

These are questions we must answer for ourselves. We must look into that mirror and judge our own selves and this by the Holy Word of God.

Let's Pray!

The Decrees Of The King

THE DECREES OF THE KING

What is true worship?

Our Text: Matthew 6

Our Focus: Matthew6:1-18

The true righteousness of the coming Kingdom of God must be applied to our everyday lives of today. Christ had rejected the Pharisees and their interpretation of the Books of Moses. Christ would now show how they practiced, their worship of God.

This chapter can basically be broken down to two sections:

1.) The principles of relating our worship to Our God.(Matt 6:1-18

2.) Our relationship to material things.(Matt 6:19-34)

There were certain acts of worship, where by putting on an act, the Pharisees would make an outward appearance for the view of other lesser men. They took great pride in showing others how they worshipped. Jesus called them "hypocrites" and that's what they were.

Jesus warns us all of the danger of hypocrisy.

What is "hypocrisy"?

THE SIN OF USING RELIGION IN AN ATTEMPT TO COVER UP YOUR OWN SIN.

A hypocrite is "NOT" a person who falls short of high ideals or occasionally sins.

A hypocrite "IS" a person that deliberately uses religion to cover up their sin and to promote his or her own gains. A hypocrite is "Lost".

Hypocrite in the Greek meant an "actor"!

The Pharisees were insincere and dishonest men who practiced their religion for the applause of men.

Christ will teach here that true righteousness comes from within the person. Christ Jesus will apply these scriptures to several areas of our lives. As we study this chapter we need to grade our own selves to see how we match up to these Pharisee. Remember these words from the previous chapter:

Mat 5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Christ Jesus was teaching His disciples and He begins by telling them to be careful. (take heed)

Our Text:

*****Our Giving

Mat 6:1 [Take heed] that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.

Mat 6:2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

Mat 6:3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:

Mat 6:4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

What are "alms"?

The Webster dictionary says of "alms": Any thing given gratuitously to relieve the poor, as money, food, or clothing, otherwise called charity.

The Strong's dictionary of Greek terms says: compassionateness, that is, (as exercised towards the poor) beneficence, or (concretely) a benefaction: - alms (-deeds).

Though the same rules could apply to your tithe, but this is not a tithe. In most cases the world will show a sense of admiration to those that give to the poor. This was the purpose of these Pharisees. They wanted the world to see how they helped take care of the poor of their communities.

Giving to the poor was one of three most important disciplines in the religion of the Pharisees. The other two being praying and fasting.

Jesus did not condemn these things at all but He cautioned us all to make sure our hearts are in the right place. If we do these things to gain the favor of men or to try to gain favor with God we have done them for the wrong reasons.

1.) No amount of giving can buy your salvation:

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

2.) To live for the praise of men is foolishness because the glory of man does not last:

1Pe 1:24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:

If we do as these Pharisee did we are perverting the act of "mercy". This approach to giving was so apparent that the entrances to the Temple were lined with beggars. These Pharisee would make a show of giving to these beggars.

These poor people were sincerely in need no doubt but they were caught up in the deception of these Pharisee.

Verse 2 states "they have received their reward" and are paid in full. There can be no further reward of God. God owes them nothing. These men were not "giving", they were "buying" praise. They wanted the praise of men so bad they were willing to pay for it. Sounds a whole lot like Satan doesn't it!

Our sinful nature can defile even the act of doing good. If we desire the praise of men we will call attention to what we are doing. If our motive is to serve God in love and to please Him, then we will give our gifts without calling attention to ourselves.

Three things will happen when this is done right:

1.) We will grow spiritually.

2.) Others will be helped.

3.) God will get the Glory as it should be.

It is not always wrong to give openly!

Act 4:34 Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,

Act 4:35 And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.

Act 4:36 And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus,

Act 4:37 Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet.

We can see that Barnabas did not give in secret but he had the right motive and did it in the right manner. This is the same Barnabas that travelled with Paul.

We can also see again how the act of giving is done wrong:

Act 5:1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,

Act 5:2 And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet.

Act 5:3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?

Act 5:4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.

Act 5:5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.

Act 5:6 And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.

Act 5:7 And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.

Act 5:8 And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much.

Act 5:9 Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.

Act 5:10 Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.

Act 5:11 And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.

Here the act of giving was used to make people believe that these two people were more spiritual than they were.

To the New Testament Church God has these words:

Jas 3:13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.

Jas 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

We also have these words of true success in the eyes of God:

2Pe 1:5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

2Pe 1:6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

2Pe 1:7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

2Pe 1:8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2Pe 1:9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

2Pe 1:10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

*****Our Praying

Mat 6:5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

Mat 6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

Mat 6:7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

Mat 6:8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

Mat 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

Mat 6:10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

Mat 6:11 Give us this day our daily bread.

Mat 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

Mat 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Mat 6:14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:

Mat 6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

At the time of Jesus, the Jews were much in the habit of praying in public places. At certain times of the day they always offered their prayers. Wherever they were, they suspended their employment and paid their devotions. This is also practiced now everywhere by Muslim, and in many places by Roman Catholics. It seems, also, that they sought publicity, and regarded it as proof of great piety.

A true relationship to God will be made known by true heart devotion to God, backed by all charity to men, by absolute sincerity and humility in the prayer life, by laying up heavenly treasures and by absolute confidence in the Heavenly Father to supply all real needs and overcome all troubling circumstances. This is what we call "faith".

The Bible says:

Pro 15:8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: [but the prayer of the upright is his delight].

If you want to put a smile on the face of God, talk to Him. He loves to hear from His children!

Isa 55:6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:

Isa 55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

If you want to see God's mercy then pray to Him!

Jer 29:12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.

God will listen to you when you pray to Him!

Jas 5:15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

Jas 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

There is nothing out of our reach when we pray! If we say we love our family and friends and we have not prayed for them then we show God that we have no love for them.

Christ Jesus gives us four main instructions to guide us in our prayer life.

***1.) We should have a consistent, personal, and private prayer life "before" we can have a public prayer life. (Vs 6)

It is not wrong to pray in public!

The Bible says:

1Ti 2:1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;

1Ti 2:2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

1Ti 2:3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;

1Ti 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

Unless we are eating alone this prayer should most always be made in public:

Joh 6:11 And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.

Act 27:35 And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat.

When we are seeking God's help:

Joh 11:41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.

Joh 11:42 [And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.]

To be a hypocrite is one who will pray in public but will not pray in private(prayer closet) to our Father in Heaven. The observer could think you are practicing a prayer life that you do not have. You will be a hypocrite.

Our Lord prayed privately and He is our example:

Mar 1:35 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.

Other great men of the Bible also prayed privately:

Elisha:

2Ki 4:32 And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed.

2Ki 4:33 He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the LORD.

Daniel:

Dan 6:10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.

Dan 6:11 Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.

We do not have to believe that these Pharisees went out in public to say all their prayers but we should believe that they were proud to be observed while they prayed and that they chose a more public place to pray. They were glad to be seen praying in public. It is the wish to be seen that is wrong here. Pretending to have a personal relationship with God is the worst of all hypocrisis. If praying in public is to gain you a reputation then you are wrong and are in sin.

Our Lord is not condemning these prayers but is trying to purify the act of praying!

***2.) We must pray sincerely! (Vs 7-8)

The fact that a request is repeated does not make it a "vain repetition".

Our example is a prayer of Our Lord:

Mat 26:36 Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.

Mat 26:37 And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.

Mat 26:38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.

Mat 26:39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

Mat 26:40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?

Mat 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Mat 26:42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.

Mat 26:43 And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy.

Mat 26:44 And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, [saying the same words].

We have also the prayer of the Apostle Paul:

2Co 12:7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

2Co 12:8 [For this thing I besought the Lord thrice], that it might depart from me.

For our words to be vain is when we pray without a sincere heart and not truly seeking God's Will.

Reciting memorized prayers could be an example of prayers just to be in the act of prayer not having the desire for fulfillment.

An example by pagan worshippers:

1Ki 18:26 And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made.

The vain and heathenish repetitions which we are here warned against, are most dangerous, and yet very common; which is a principal cause why so many, who still profess religion, are a disgrace to it.

A godly man once wrote: "All of us have one routine prayer in our system; and once we get rid of it, then we can really start to pray".

If we examine our selves we will find this to be true.

GOD ONLY ANSWERS PRAYERS THAT COME FROM THE HEART OF THE BELIEVER!

Therefore we should be extremely careful in all our prayers to mean what we say; and to say only what we mean from the bottom of our hearts.

***3.) We must pray in God's Will! (Vs 9-13)

God gives all His disciples a model of true prayer. Jesus did not gives this prayer to be memorized and to be recited a certain number of times. Jesus does tells us all the areas that should occupy our prayers. Jesus said "pray after this manner". This prayer is a pattern for us to learn by. This prayer is not a substitute for our own words and supplications. The purpose of prayer is to glorify God's name and to ask His help to accomplish "His Will" for us, while we are still on this earth.

A.) Prayer must magnify the Father's Name: "Our Father which art in heaven"

A prayer must begin with God's interest and not our own. We have no right to ask for anything that will dishonor God's Name, nor to delay His coming Kingdom, nor to disturb His Will on this earth.

If the Father is truly not your Father you have no right to ask anything of Him until you have accepted the Lord Jesus as your Saviour.

Joh 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

Joh 14:24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.

Joh 14:25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.

Joh 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Joh 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Joh 14:7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

When we pray we must realize that we are all part of God's family of believers. You have to be a believer!

Therefore a person's first prayer must be that personal sinner's prayer of forgiveness:

Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Rom 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Rom 10:11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

1.) Remember God is the Creator and thus the Parent of us all.

2.) Our Father is the Preserver of the family and the Provider of all needs.

3.) He is the Father of all those adopted into His family, true followers of Him.

Rom 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

Rom 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

Rom 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

Rom 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

B.) True prayer will involve worship: "Hallowed be thy name"

We must worship Our God.

Joh 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

God ask this question in Ezekiel:

Eze 22:30 And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: [but I found none].

To be saved is to be this man. To be saved is to pray for the will of God in our own lives to fulfill this request of God. To start then, is to first worship Him.

1Pe 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

1Pe 2:10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

C.) Prayer must be about the work of God and His Word: "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven".

We must pray that the fulfillment of God's Will, will be realized on this earth. If we put God's Will first, then and only then can we bring our own needs to Him.

God will provide us with the means to do whatever it is that He would have us do but we should have that same desire in our own hearts, without doubt of His power to do so.

Mat 21:22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, [believing,] ye shall receive.

Our mistakes are these in most cases:

Jas 4:1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?

Jas 4:2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.

Jas 4:3 [Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts].

Jas 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

D.) Our prayer can then concern itself with our daily needs: "Give us this day our daily bread".

This is more important than we first realize, for it shows that we are dependant on God for even our basic needs and we certainly are.

When the nation of Israel was escaping from Egypt. God set in motion a means for them to have food daily. They had no means to store food for a long period of time. They were sustained by a daily supply of "Manna".

Jesus said:

Joh 6:32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.

Joh 6:33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.

Joh 6:34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.

Joh 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

Not only do we need food daily to sustain our physical bodies we need the Word of God daily to sustain our spiritual lives. That Word comes to us through Jesus Christ!

Joh 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

That "Manna" had to be gathered every day reminding those Jews of God's "day by day" provision for all our lives.

God may not drop "manna" down from Heaven to us now but He does allow a means for us all to be fed daily. To the believer we should not forget the bountiful hand of God.

E.) Next our prayers must contain confession. "And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil":

God expects people to be forgiving. Through the blood of Jesus, God has pardoned us from all our sin. How then can we not forgiving to those we come in contact with.

Mat 18:21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?

Mat 18:22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

We can see that God has tied forgiveness directly to temptation. If we cannot forgive then our hearts are not right with God and we can be sure the devil will try his best to take advantage of the situation.

"Lead us not in temptation" does not mean that God tempts His children.

Jas 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: [for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man]:

Jas 1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

Jas 1:15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

We are asking God to guide us in all manner of our life in this flesh, to allow His will to be done in our lives. We must be forgiving as he is forgiving and we must avoid situations that will place in temptation.

1Jn 5:18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.

Our example:

Mat 4:5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,

Mat 4:6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

Mat 4:7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, [Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God].

****4.) We Must Have A Forgiving Spirit:

Jesus "does not" teach us that His forgiveness is based on whether we will forgive others. This would be salvation based on works and this would be contrary to the Doctrine of Grace. For if not for the "mercy" of God their could be no "Grace".

If we have truly been a recipient of God's "grace" then we will be in readiness to forgive others.

Eph 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Col 3:12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

Col 3:13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

Col 3:14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

Christ was teaching His disciples true righteousness not the righteousness taught of these Pharisee.

A Good Example Matthew 18:21-35.

Praying is a family affair: "Our Father". When the family cannot get along with each other how can we claim to have the right relationship with Our Father Who Is In Heaven.

When we are saved we are born into the family of God. Our prayer life tells if we are truly a working part of this family. If I am not in fellowship with God, I cannot pray effectively.

Rom 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

Rom 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

If in salvation, I am indwelled with the Holy Spirit and I do not pray for my brother and sisters in Christ and yet I pray when called on in public, I am truly a hypocrite. God forgive me when I don't pray as I should.

If I am to be a witness to others I must be in fellowship with my brothers and sisters in Christ. We can see that this is a sign of being in fellowship with God and it is important to our prayer life.

If God answered the prayer of a hypocrite, He would dishonor His own name! By granting his request it would encourage that person to remain in sin. God will not answer the prayer of a sinner!

Psa 66:18 [If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me]:

Psa 66:19 But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.

Psa 66:20 Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.

When we see the lost desire to be heard of God, we owe it to them to pray for them, to intercede on their behalf, for we have one that does this for us, his name is Jesus.

*****Our Fasting:

Mat 6:16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

Mat 6:17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;

Mat 6:18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

The only fast God required of the Jewish people was the annual day of atonement:

Lev 23:27 Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

Lev 23:28 And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God.

Lev 23:29 For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people.

These Pharisees fasted on each Monday and Thursday:

Luk 18:11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

Luk 18:12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

Because these were the same two days that the Synagogues met for service we can see that they had an opportunity to display themselves.

Their fasting was not just meat and drink but they also would not wash or anoint themselves, they went barefoot, and they sprinkled ashes on their heads. They would make their faces unsightly to show that were suffering in their fast. They displayed themselves in an ungodly manner just to win the praise of those that observed them. They were seeking admiration from the people of the synagogue.

To simply deprive ourselves of food, or drink or even sleep is not what fasting is all about. Unless there is a devotion of the heart to God there is no spiritual benefit.

True fasting is a secret thing between you and God. If we have to look miserable to be in the family of God then how can we be a witness to the love of God. If there is no joy in salvation then we are truly a miserable people.

No wonder Jesus gives us this example:

Mat 23:27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.

Mat 23:28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

To use the ways of the hypocrite will rob us of our character:

1.) We pray but we will never have an answer to that prayer or any prayer.

2.) We fast but we will show no improvement in our spiritual lives.

3.) Instead of the eternal approval of God we receive the shallow praise of men.

4.) We miss the blessings of God in this life and lose the rewards of God when Jesus returns and any that could be in store in the New Heaven.

5.) We will be a negative influence in this world we live in. This is a noticeable thing world wide and the world will point out every hypocrite in a way to the show darkness in the Church.

If we are to overcome the wickedness of hypocrisy we must first be honest with God in our secret life, giving, praying, fasting and all things from the heart. The most important part of the Christian life is that part that God only sees.

When our reputation becomes more important to us we have becomes hypocrites!

Let's Pray!