First Evangelical Free Church Sioux City, Iowa

Matthew 11:20-30 The Easy Yoke of Christ

Rejection or Acceptance? Please click here to listen to the sermon.

• A Picture of Rejection
  • Matthew 11:20 This isn't a harsh rant, but rather teaching which calls for the repentance of the listening crowd.
  • Matthew 11:21-22 The first example of unrepentant cities: Korazin and Bethsaida. Jesus performed miracles and preached in both places and yet He was _________ in each. So great was the hardness of heart in these two cities that Jesus compares them unfavorably to two other cities: Tyre and Sidon which would have repented had they heard Jesus.
  • Matthew 11:23-24 In a similar vein, Jesus turns His words towards Capernaum - a city where He had done much ministry. Yet they are also judged unfavorably. To think that the judgment of Sodom will be less than that of Capernaum is challenging, but it must be remembered that those in Capernaum had no excuse and no ignorance about God, for Jesus had preached and healed in their very midst.
• A Picture of Acceptance
  • Matthew 11:25-26 The scene changes dramatically as Jesus gives a prayer of thankfulness to the Father. Notice the contrast between those who think they are wise (who really aren't) and those who are like little children (and thus are wise). The same phrase was used of the ________ in 10:42.
  • Matthew 11:27 From His prayer, Jesus immediately transitions to a teaching moment: the Father has entrusted all things to Jesus. Specifically, He has entrusted the offer of salvation which is what Christ speaks of next...
  • Matthew 11:28-30 This is a call to respond to Jesus (and thus to not be counted with the wicked cities) by throwing off the yoke of the world - money, power, influence; and instead taking up the yoke of Christ which is grace-filled and easy (though still costly and sacrificial) in comparison.
• Application: continually take up the easy yoke of Jesus' grace by trusting Him for salvation and leaning on Him daily.

Matthew 11:1-19 What Shall We Do With Jesus?

A message to John, about John, and for us. Please click here to listen to the sermon.

• A Message to John
  • Matthew 11:1-3 As Jesus goes about preaching and teaching in the town of Galilee, John sends his disciples to ask Jesus whether He is truly the ________. Why does John do this? To clarify whether - in spite of expectations - Jesus is really who John thinks that He is.
  • Matthew 11:4-6 Notice Jesus' response: it isn't simply "yes," but rather it is an answer by way of proof. "John, here's what I've done - match it up with Scripture." Jesus is not what John or anybody else expected, but expectations should be adjusted to match Scripture, not our preferences.
• A Message About John
  • Matthew 11:7-10 Lest the crowd think that John is wishy-washy and unsure of his support of Jesus, we see that Christ goes on to affirm John's place in God's grand plan. John isn't simply some sort of pawn, unsure of himself, but instead he is a prophet of God, the forerunner and scout of Jesus.
  • Matthew 11:11-15 John is great because of prophecies about him and his role in history, but not so great that he eclipses those who hear Christ and respond to the kingdom. That same kingdom is spreading despite all odds and only those who respond ___________ will be a part of it.
  • Matthew 11:16-19 Two related pictures are now given of those who reject not just John, but Jesus as well: John proclaimed repentance and mourning over sin, Jesus proclaimed grace and freedom. Two sides of the same "repent and believe" coin. And yet the crowds did not definitively respond to either message.
• A Message For Us
  • First things first: do not delay - trust Christ this day.
  • Understand John's role to point us towards Jesus. Realize that we have blessings that even John didn't have.
  • Lastly, are we like Jesus - are we a "friend to sinners?"

Matthew 10:32-42 Losing and Finding Life

Pastor Kevin Miller preaches from Matthew 10, highlighting Jesus' teaching on being a disciple. You can listen to the sermon by clicking here.

• Peace vs. the Sword
  • Matthew 10:32-33 Step one in discipleship: confess Jesus. And what a blessing this is because we see that, in return, Christ will "confess" (acknowledge) us before the ___________. The opposite is also true: to be ashamed of Christ is to not have Him acknowledge you before the Father.
  • Matthew 10:34-36 Just as there is reward for allegiance to Christ, there is also judgment for those who do not trust Him as Lord. While Christ certainly brings peace, the peace that He brings is reconciliation with God first and foremost.
    • Note where this peace will not be: on the earth.
    • Look at the extent of the division - all the way down to the family. Much of the world will oppose Christ.
  • Matthew 10:37-39 However troubling these preceding facts are, Jesus is making a major point by them about being His disciple... do you love Christ most? Is He the number one priority in your life? Even above family?
    • Jesus connects this directly with "taking up the cross" - do we follow after Him in condemnation by the world and yet joyful eternity in the Kingdom?
    • Jesus is pointing His disciples towards a life that is begger and better than they could have ever expected - a life with Him in eternity. This is the point: live life now with a vision of _______ in mind.
• Acceptance instead of Rejection
  • Matthew 10:40-42 Jesus gives three examples of acceptance that last. To receive one of Christ's messengers is to receive Him. Thus, to receive a prophet (of Christ), is also to gain in the prophet's reward. The same is true for the one who is righteous (made right with God) and for the one who is seemingly helpless according to the world.
• Conclusion: We must be devoted to Christ in all things so that we can serve Him well as His ambassadors to the world.

Matthew 10:16-31 The Road Will Be Hard…But Worth It

In Matthew 10, Jesus tells His disciples what following Him will cost them. Click here to listen to the sermon.

1. A Life of Discipleship is a Life of Sacrifice
   1. Matthew 10:16 is a ___________ of our entire passage...
   2. Matthew 10:17-20 The picture moves from bad to worse - in essence, the disciples must realize that they will be opposed just as Jesus has been (and will continue to be) opposed. But even in the midst of such trials, they are to rely and depend upon the faithfulness of God - so are we.
   3. Matthew 10:21-23 And as if the previous verses weren't enough, we'll also see that the persecution will become personal for all who follow Christ. The advice? Move on. Remember, the mission is to spread the message. Leave God in charge of how folks will respond to it.
   4. Matthew 10:24-25 It is because of their (and our) identification with Christ that they will be persecuted. We should not be surprised at this - the Bible is filled with stories of God's faithful undergoing trials and we should not assume it will be different for us.
2. Our Motivation for this Great Sacrifice? Fearing the Right Person
   1. Matthew 10:26-27 After setting up a formidable list of adversaries and trials what is Jesus' response? To tell His disciples "do not ________." Why? Because God knows full well what they will go through and He will sustain them.
   2. Matthew 10:28-31 The message of hope is repeated: do not fear. For what can people do to you? The worst they can do is take your physical life. But for the one who lives with the heavenly kingdom in mind, this is not an ultimate sacrifice. Our allegiance is to the One who holds eternity in His hands. Trust the Lord because He knows and cares for you in the fullest fashion - it is He that we are laboring for.
3. A Modern Day Disciple
   1. We must keep to the mission of making disciples throught he spread of the Gospel; and we will encounter resistance.
   2. Trust the Lord's goodness and plans, even when difficult.

Matthew 10:1-15 Chosen for a Mission

Matthew chapter 10 is the sermon text for this message. You can listen to the sermon by clicking here.

1. The Choosing of the Twelve
   1. Matthew 10:1-4 We left off with a call for the disciples to pray for more harvest workers. Little did they know that God would answer that prayer by sending them out to lead the way! Jesus equips his disciples to do work in the same vein as He has been doing.
   2. This is the first time that the term "apostle" is used to describe any of the disciples. An apostle is one who is a "messenger" and one who is "________ with a mission."
2. The Mission of the Twelve
   1. Matthew 10:5-6 The first part of the mission is to tell the disciples where they are going: to their fellow Jews. Later in Matthew, we'll see Jesus extend the mission to the Gentiles, but at this point He is sending them to their own people.
   2. Matthew 10:7-8 Next, we see what the twelve are supposed to be doing: they are to proclaim the same __________ that Jesus Himself has been teaching regarding the nearness of the Kingdom, with emphasis on how the disciples have received freely and so they are to preach, teach, and serve freely.
   3. Matthew 10:9-10 Lastly, we see "what to pack," which really is Jesus telling the disciples to trust in God's provision.
   4. Matthew 10:11-12 When a disciple enters a town, they are to find a place to stay - most likely this will be with somebody who __________ _________ the Kingdom message.
   5. Matthew 10:13-15 And yet, Jesus hints that being a disciple will often not be an easy task. Nevertheless, the disciples are to continue to move forward to where the message will be received. Let God judge those who reject Christ.
3. Our Response
   1. We have been given everything (grace) and so we should freely and willingly do the same for others.
   2. We must proclaim the Good News, God will handle the rest.

Matthew 9:27-38 The Harvest

The Tempo of Matthew's Gospel starts to pick up, as Jesus teaches more directly concerning the harvest.  Click here to listen to the sermon.

1. A Healing
   1. Matthew 9:27 The scene changes from the healing of a little girl to two blind men who seek mercy from Jesus. The title that they use - "Son of David" - is very significant here.
   2. Matthew 9:28-30 Finally, Jesus turns to the blind men and asks if they believe He can do this? Do what? Give them _______. But what kind of mercy - cimply to see, or something else? Jesus heals their blindness - on account of their faith - but we also get a hint of that very faith.
   3. Matthew 9:31 And of course we see that news of this healing spreads, even though Jesus wishes to be known of as more than simply a healer.
2. A Second Healing and A Controversy
   1. Matthew 9:32-33 Immediately after healing the blind men, another person comes to him who is demon-possessed and cannot ________. Without much fanfare, Matthew records that Jesus heals the man who is then able to speak. The people are amazed at this...
   2. Matthew 9:34 ...and yet the Pharisees are not. They don't deny Jesus' power, but they attribute it to the devil. This will become a major point that we'll see again soon. The conflict with the religious authorities has begun in earnest.
3. The Workers and the Harvest
   1. Matthew 9:35 We see here a phrase that is almost the exact same as the one which we read in 4:23 - the point is that we are reminded of Jesus' mission.
   2. Matthew 9:36-37 We move from the big picture to an introduction of what is happening on the ground: the harvest is plentiful but the workers are _______. The disciples are then called to pray for more workers.
4. Observation and Application
   1. We must also ask "do we believe that Jesus gives mercy?"
   2. Do we pray for more workers? What is God's response?

Mathew 9:9-26 Questioning Jesus

Jesus is the teacher par excellence. He does not shy away from hard questions, and his answers go much deeper than the questioners ever intended. Click here to listen to the sermon.

1. Of Tax Collectors and "Sinners"
   1. Matthew 9:9-10 Who would you pick to be one of Jesus' disciples? Probably not Matthew - tax collectors in those days were widely known for their ______________. And not only does Jesus choose Matthew as His disciple, but He also goes to a social dinner with a bunch of Matthew's friends.
   2. Matthew 9:11-13 The Pharisees are shocked at Jesus' choice of friends - so they confront Him - but notice His response: Jesus has come for those who know they aren't perfect and who need a spiritual doctor.
2. Being Religious Enough
   1. Matthew 9:14 A second question is posed to Jesus: why don't His disciples ________ like other spiritual people do?
   2. Matthew 9:15-17 Jesus' response is simple: you fast because you are in mourning, repentant, or perhaps hoping for something to be different. None of these is an issue when the One you are fasting to is right there with you. There will be time enough for fasting in the coming days, which is shown by Jesus' examples of "old" and "new" - fasting will have a place, but someday it will be no more.
3. Faith and Trust
   1. Matthew 9:18-19 In the midst of a teaching moment comes crisis: this leader (probably of a synagogue) comes to Jesus believing that Jesus can bring his daughter back to _______.
   2. Matthew 9:20-22 However, before Jesus can arrive at the man's house, a woman who is in poor health believes that simply by touching His cloak, she will be healed. This she does, and indeed she is healed through her faith in Jesus.
   3. Matthew 9:23-26 Finally, Jesus arrives at the house where there is a funeral going on. In the midst of angry jeers, He goes into the house and raises the dead girl to life.
4. Application: Asking questions will build a faith you can lean upon, which is based upon Jesus' forgiveness of sinners.

James – Being Hearers and Do-ers in 2012

Pastor Kevin Miller exhorts each of us to seriously consider the Biblical call to be do-ers of the Word in 2012.  Click here to listen to the sermon.

1. Do We Hear and Do? Or Simply Hear?
   1. James 1:19-20 What does it look like to live in accordance witht he life of devotion that Christ calls us to? I means that we must be quick to hear and slow to _______. This is exceptionally difficult when everything in life screams, beeps, pops up, or otherwise notifies us that it needs attention right at this moment and that we should be doing likewise in our communications to others. This teaching will keep us from anger, which leads to sin.
   2. James 1:21-22 James' main point: don't merely be a hearer of the Word, but also a do-er. This is only accomplished by accepting (:living in light of, wrestling with the implications of") the Word of God and all that it says.
   3. James 1:23-25 The example James gives of a person using a mirror - the whole point of a mirror is to see if anything needs correcting. But what about the person who looks in the mirror, sees something that needs correction, and then does nothing about it? James tells us that they haven't truly heard. The two ways to live: as a hearer and a do-er who will be blessed by God or as a hearer only who will live in sin.
2. Living for the Lord
   1. James 4:13-15 The application of James' teaching fits rights in with this passage about making plans for the future. Do you make plans with the Lord in mind? Many don't, but this is unwise because they really aren't in _________. Those who are wise make their plans with regard to God's Word.
   2. James 4:16-17 The rubber meets the road in these two verses: if you make plans aside from what the Scriptures say, then you are both unwise and sinful. But, if you make plans in order to honor God, you will be found faithful.
3. Applying the Difficult to Apply
   1. Make plans in Word-informed, God-honoring ways.
   2. Your plans show your commitment to maturing in the Lord.

Matthew 8:28-9:8 The Power of Words

Pastor Kevin Miller preaches through a passage which emphasizes the power of Jesus' words.  You can listen to the sermon by clicking here.

1. The Gadarenes
   1. After calming the storm, Jesus lands on the other side of the Sea of Galilee in the land of those who were Gentiles.
   2. Matthew 8:28-29 A problem is immediately presented: Jesus is confronted by two demoniacs who recognize His ultimate authority and yet desire for Him to leave them be.
   3. Matthew 8:30-34 The story moves quickly at this point, as Jesus tells the demons to leave the men and go into a herd of _________. The pigs rush to their death and this is reported to the town which asks Jesus to leave them.
      1. Note how different this response is when compared to the other Gentile stories of faith we've heard.
      2. The townspeople cared more for their herd of pigs than for the healing of the two men.
2. The Paralyzed Man
   1. Matthew 9:1-2 A study in contrasts - Jesus heads back across the Sea and is confronted with the challenge of a man who is completely paralyzed. The response Jesus gives ("your sins are forgiven") is certainly not the expected one, and yet it is the necessary one because Jesus cares for what is eternal even more than what is temporary.
   2. Matthew 9:3-6 Just as with the story of the Gadarenes, there is more to this story: it's not only about a healing but also about how the teachers of the law respond to Jesus' authority. Jesus, however, knows their thoughts and so chooses to heal physically as an example of His authority which extends to both physical and spiritual.
   3. Matthew 9:7-8 As confirmation of Jesus' authority, the man rises up and _________! The crowd's response is recorded by Matthew: they praise God.
3. Our Application
   1. Jesus authority is the cure to our spiritually sick souls.
   2. Do we faithfully bow to Jesus' authority in our lives?

Matthew 8:18-27 The True Cost of Discipleship

Pastor Miller preaches the next section o fthe Gospel of Matthew. Please click here to listen to the sermon.

1. "Would be" disciples... there will be a great cost!
   1. Matthew 8:18-20 After Jesus' very busy time of healing, He decides to withdraw from the crowds. As He and some of His closest followers are preparing to leave, they are approached by a _______________ who professes his discipleship.
      1. Jesus' reply is puzzling from a worldly standpoint - what does He mean? The point is that Jesus has no rest in this life; "this world is not my home" comes to mind. Neither will those who follow Him.
      2. The call is clear: count the cost before you commit - then commit whole-heartedly! "When Christ calls a man, He bids him to come and die."
   2. Matthew 8:21-22 A second person approaches Jesus and says that he will follow as a disciple, but only after he attends to an important family matter. Again, Jesus' response seems confusing, but the truth of the matter is that Jesus knows the man's heart - does devotion to God come first and foremost in life or not?
2. The Trials of Being a Disciple
   1. Matthew 8:23-25 Finally the party sets off in a boat and Jesus falls __________. Without warning a fierce storm comes up which threatens the boat. In great fear, the disciples wake Jesus up with a desperate plea: "save us!"
   2. Matthew 8:26 Jesus' reply is - again - unexpected: He speaks about a lack of faith and only then calms the storm. The deeper question is this: why do you fear? Do you trust the Lord? Will you live in light of that trust?
   3. Matthew 8:27 So often this story is portrayed as one about our own "storms" in life, but look carefully: Matthew's point is about Jesus' authority over nature. He has now shown us that Jesus is Lord over all things - we should trust Him.
3. Our Response?
   1. Count the cost, then commit entirely and with faithful trust.