Jesus wants you to keep looking for the lost. Gospels: Week 4 - Kingdom Teaching and Parables logos.com Luke 15:1–10 (NASB95) 1 Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him. 2 Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” 3 So He told them this parable, saying, 4 “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? 5 “When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 “And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ 7 “I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. 8 “Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 “When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost!’ 10 “In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Canons of Dordt Point III/IV, Article 10: Conversion as the Work of God The fact that others who are called through the ministry of the gospel do come and are brought to conversion must not be credited to man, as though one distinguishes himself by free choice from others who are furnished with equal or sufficient grace for faith and conversion (as the proud heresy of Pelagius maintains). No, it must be credited to God: just as from eternity he chose his own in Christ, so within time he effectively calls them, grants them faith and repentance, and, having rescued them from the dominion of darkness, brings them into the kingdom of his Son, in order that they may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called them out of darkness into this marvelous light, and may boast not in themselves, but in the Lord, as apostolic words frequently testify in Scripture. Summary Luke 15 opens with a couple of parables, the Parable of the Lost Sheep and the Parable of the Lost Coin. The parables are spoken in response to the Pharisees and scribes doing what they are so often remembered for, grumbling over something Jesus did. This time they took issue with the way that Jesus was associating with people identified as “sinners”. While we are all sinners, this label is used to describe a group of people who the rabbi’s generally believed that a person should not associate. This label of “sinners” was earned from their immorality or for those whose professions the rabbis viewed as incompatible with keeping the law. Also named alongside these “sinners” were the tax collectors. Tax collectors were hated by the people because they worked on behalf of their Roman occupiers to collect taxes from their brethren. In many regards, tax collectors were seen as traitors to their own people. Jesus associated with the very same people who were considered unworthy by the religious leaders of the day. To explain his actions and the shortcomings of the Pharisees and scribes, Jesus responds through parables. Dig Deeper In the Parable of the Lost Sheep, Jesus describes a flock of one hundred sheep being tended to by a shepherd. One of the sheep is lost and the man must decide whether he goes after the sheep or abandons it. The suggestion is that any of these Pharisees or scribes would be willing to chase down a lost sheep that belonged to them, yet they fail to be willing to pursue a person who is spiritually lost. In the second parable, the Parable of the Lost Coin, a woman loses one of her ten silver coins. These coins were more than currency; they were a lifeline in case something happened to her husband. This was her protection against becoming destitute and what she could use to start a new life. These coins were important to her, if one was lost, she would put great effort into searching for it. Since homes typically had dirt floors, the search could be difficult. This involved sweeping around the home and using a lantern to see all the shadow covered parts of the house. And when this coin was finally found, she, like the shepherd, celebrated. These parables show how even though others may look down on them, these people still mattered to God. The inclusion of even just one of these “sinners” in the kingdom of God is worthy of celebration. Who is it that you have been overlooking? Who is it that you may have instinctually considered beyond the reach of God’s grace? Don’t make the same mistake as the Pharisees and scribes. Do not write anyone off as unredeemable. Think of someone you know that you consider far from God and spend time today praying for their salvation. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who sent His Son to seek us, His lost sheep; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will have the same drive to seek the lost that the shepherd and woman in Jesus' parables do; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Pray for the salvation of those who remain lost;

God's Kingdom only seems small to the world. Gospels: Week 4 - Kingdom Teaching and Parables Photo: Jaspreet Kalshi, via Unsplash Mark 4:30–34 (NASB95) 30 And He said, “How shall we picture the kingdom of God, or by what parable shall we present it? 31 “It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the soil, though it is smaller than all the seeds that are upon the soil, 32 yet when it is sown, it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and forms large branches; so that the birds of the air can nest under its shade.” 33 With many such parables He was speaking the word to them, so far as they were able to hear it; 34 and He did not speak to them without a parable; but He was explaining everything privately to His own disciples. Belgic Confession Article 27: The Holy Catholic Church We believe and confess one single catholic or universal church— a holy congregation and gathering of true Christian believers, awaiting their entire salvation in Jesus Christ being washed by his blood, and sanctified and sealed by the Holy Spirit. This church has existed from the beginning of the world and will last until the end, as appears from the fact that Christ is eternal King who cannot be without subjects. And this holy church is preserved by God against the rage of the whole world, even though for a time it may appear very small in the eyes of men— as though it were snuffed out. For example, during the very dangerous time of Ahab the Lord preserved for himself seven thousand men who did not bend their knees to Baal. And so this holy church is not confined, bound, or limited to a certain place or certain persons. But it is spread and dispersed throughout the entire world, though still joined and united in heart and will, in one and the same Spirit, by the power of faith. Summary In Mark 4 we come across the Parable of the Mustard Seed. We know parables to be earthly stories with a heavenly meaning. Through the parables Jesus uses everyday ideas to explain matters of a spiritual nature. The everyday idea used in this parable is a mustard seed, which is amongst the smallest of the seeds. Mustard seeds and their miniscule size were familiar to the people of Jesus’ day. This parable is not the only time Jesus used the mustard seed as an example, this isn’t even the most familiar occurrence. Matthew 17 contains a more often cited reference to the mustard seed, where Jesus uses it to describe how one’s faith can grow. While the Parable of the Mustard Seed is drawing on a familiar illustration, it is being used to teach on something different than Matthew 17. In Matthew 17 the mustard seed is used to describe the growth of a person’s faith and what kind of faith can grow from something small. In Mark 4, it is the kingdom of God which is being compared to a mustard seed. Like the mustard seed, something grand can sprout from humble beginnings. Dig Deeper Mustard is an annual plant, and unlike a tree which adds to the previous years’ growth, mustard grows anew each year. Starting from a tiny seed, it grows into a bush large enough for birds to nest in. In this parable, Jesus is comparing the growth of the mustard plant to the growth of the Kingdom of God. A mustard seed is small yet yields a larger plant than one would expect, so too will be the kingdom of God. Though the kingdom may at its beginning seem small and insignificant, over time and through God’s nurture it will grow beyond what anyone could have imagined. Although the kingdom of God may have appeared hidden and could easily be overlooked at its onset, it would grow to reach the ends of the earth. This message was spoken by Jesus through this parable and was further explained privately to his disciples. We live in a time where the Christian faith seems to be falling into obscurity in many parts of the world, including the United States. The research and polling on numbers of believers is more than a little concerning. Even so, not all is lost. Just as the kingdom of God originally grew from humble origins, God can once again grow his kingdom out of a time of obscurity and into something grand. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, whose Kingdom, though it appears small, rules over all things; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will seek first the Kingdom of God, no matter how insignificant it seems in this world; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

God sent His Son that the world may be saved through Him Gospels: Week 4 - Kingdom Teaching and Parables John 3:16–21 (NASB95) 16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20 “For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 “But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.” Canons of Dordt Point II Article 2: The Satisfaction Made by Christ Since we ourselves cannot give this satisfaction or deliver ourselves from God’s anger, God in his boundless mercy has given us as a guarantee his only begotten Son, who was made to be sin and a curse for us, in our place, on the cross, in order that he might give satisfaction for us. Article 5: The Mandate to Proclaim the Gospel to All Moreover, it is the promise of the gospel that whoever believes in Christ crucified shall not perish but have eternal life. This promise, together with the command to repent and believe, ought to be announced and declared without differentiation or discrimination to all nations and people, to whom God in his good pleasure sends the gospel. Summary John 3:16 is one of the most beloved verses of the Bible. Not only are the words of John 3:16 reassuring, they also eloquently lay out the key themes of the Gospel. Because of God’s great love for us, he gave his only Son in order that we would be saved from our sin and have eternal life. Verse 17 further clarifies that the Son’s reason for coming into the world was not to condemn, but to save. Jesus is described here as God’s only begotten Son. This term alludes to the fact that although Jesus was human, there was something more to him. While He took on human flesh, Jesus still retained His divine nature. While we are considered children of God, adopted through faith in Christ, Jesus is described as God’s one and only Son. Some translations, like the one we read from today, use the phrase “only begotten Son”, which speaks to Jesus being “of the same substance” as the Father. Dig Deeper The Son came into the world to save sinners. Out of God’s great love for you, Jesus, the only one capable of paying the penalty of your sin, did exactly that. No sinful human could pay the penalty for another. Jesus, the only one not stained by original sin, took on a human nature with the intent of paying that penalty on your behalf. The Son coming into the world speaks to more than Jesus being born. Coming into the world also included leaving His place on high. The Son, the second person of the Trinity, existed before the incarnation. And the Son, being divine, has always had this divine nature, even before the creation of the world. The divinity of the Son is not something given to Him, but a matter of who He is. This divine nature is eternal, without a beginning or an end. The Son of God took upon himself a human nature, which did not corrupt nor inhibit his divine nature. And as verse 17 teaches, all this was done so that the world might be saved through him. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will live in the light of Jesus, the eternal Son of God; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

The Beatitudes' juice is worth the squeeze! Gospels: Week 4 - Kingdom Teaching and Parables Matthew 5:1–11 (NASB95) 1 When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. 2 He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying, 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5 “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. 6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 10 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Canons of Dordt Point 1, Article 12: The Assurance of Election Assurance of their eternal and unchangeable election to salvation is given to the chosen in due time, though by various stages and in differing measure. Such assurance comes not by inquisitive searching into the hidden and deep things of God, but by noticing within themselves, with spiritual joy and holy delight, the unmistakable fruits of election pointed out in God’s Word—such as a true faith in Christ, a childlike fear of God, a godly sorrow for their sins, a hunger and thirst for righteousness, and so on. Summary Matthew 5 marks the beginning of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. This extended series of teachings touched on numerous spiritually relevant topics for the time, yet they remain just as relevant today. The common cultural practice was for teachers to sit down while teaching. This is what we find Jesus doing at the opening of Matthew 5, he climbs the mountain and sits down in preparation for a time of teaching. There is debate amongst scholars over whether Jesus is beginning one long teaching or a series of smaller sermons. Regardless of the number of teaching sessions represented in Matthew 5-7, we are blessed to still have access over 2000 years later to such a complete set of Jesus’ teachings. The first teaching of the Sermon on the Mount is the Beatitudes, which are a series of “blessed are” statements. In today’s usage, being blessed is thought of as a state of gratitude, such as a picture of one’s family on social media with a #blessed in the description. While we are called to be grateful, the type of blessing described by the Beatitudes deals more with God’s approval and one’s spiritual well-being than a feeling of gratitude. Dig Deeper There is a great amount of humility demonstrated by those who are the recipients of the blessings described in the Beatitudes. For example, blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Besides Jesus, everyone is prone to sin and therefore spiritually destitute. It is, however, those who recognize their spiritually impoverished state who will be blessed. Likewise, Jesus teaches that those who mourn are blessed because they will be comforted. While in isolation these words might appear to speak of a person mourning the passing of a loved one, reading the Beatitudes together and in context leads to a different conclusion. By recognizing themselves as being poor in spirit, those who mourn over their sinful state will be comforted and blessed. What is described in the Beatitudes are the characteristics of those who belong to the kingdom of heaven. Those who recognize and agonize over their sin. Those who are humble, merciful, and pure in heart. Those who are peacemakers, who endure persecution and false accusations. While these challenges will be faced by those who seek to enter the kingdom, Jesus’ promise is that they will likewise be blessed. There is a saying used when determining life decisions, “is the juice worth the squeeze”. Is what you get out of it (the juice) worth the effort that you put in (the squeeze). Looking over this list of blessings, I would conclude that the juice is absolutely worth the squeeze. The blessings that God bestows upon those who by faith repent of their sin and live according to Jesus’ teachings are beyond anything you can find in this world. If you find yourself in a time of struggle or hardship, remember the Beatitudes. Remember how God blesses those who struggle for their faith. While the struggle may be real, when it comes to Jesus “the juice is worth the squeeze”. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who through His Son perfectly shows us how to live a blessed life; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that your life will be patterned after Jesus' teaching in the Sermon on the Mount; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

We have a big God, so your prayers must be big. Not long... big. BibleStudyTools.com BOOK IV Psalms 90–106 PSALM 90 A Prayer of Moses, the man of God. 1 Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. 2 Before the mountains were born Or You gave birth to the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. 3 You turn man back into dust And say, “Return, O children of men.” 4 For a thousand years in Your sight Are like yesterday when it passes by, Or as a watch in the night. 5 You have swept them away like a flood, they fall asleep; In the morning they are like grass which sprouts anew. 6 In the morning it flourishes and sprouts anew; Toward evening it fades and withers away. 7 For we have been consumed by Your anger And by Your wrath we have been dismayed. 8 You have placed our iniquities before You, Our secret sins in the light of Your presence. 9 For all our days have declined in Your fury; We have finished our years like a sigh. 10 As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, Or if due to strength, eighty years, Yet their pride is but labor and sorrow; For soon it is gone and we fly away. 11 Who understands the power of Your anger And Your fury, according to the fear that is due You? 12 So teach us to number our days, That we may present to You a heart of wisdom. 13 Do return, O LORD; how long will it be? And be sorry for Your servants. 14 O satisfy us in the morning with Your lovingkindness, That we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. 15 Make us glad according to the days You have afflicted us, And the years we have seen evil. 16 Let Your work appear to Your servants And Your majesty to their children. 17 Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us; And confirm for us the work of our hands; Yes, confirm the work of our hands. Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 26 Q. What do you believe when you say, “I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth”? A. That the eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who out of nothing created heaven and earth and everything in them, who still upholds and rules them by his eternal counsel and providence, is my God and Father because of Christ his Son. I trust him so much that I do not doubt he will provide whatever I need for body and soul, and he will turn to my good whatever adversity he sends me in this sad world. He is able to do this because he is almighty God; he desires to do this because he is a faithful Father. Summary The fourth book within the Psalms begins not with a song written by David, nor by Asaph or the Sons of Korah, but with a prayer written by Moses, who in the superscription (the Psalm's title) is given the greatest compliment that anyone could receive: Moses, the man of God. What will you do today that you might be worthy of such a description for yourself? Moses begins his relatively short prayer - as most Biblical prayers are - the way so many Biblical prayers do, and exactly as Jesus taught us: by acknowledging who God is. He's our dwelling place in all generations - both Moses' generation and our own! And the Lord has been God even before creation; even before the moutains and the earth and world were born. In fact, the Lord exists beyond the bounds of time itself - from everlasting to everlasting, He is God! We call this aspect of God's being - the fact that He sovereignly and omnipotently exists over all things - His transcendence. In his prayer, Moses compares God's transcendence with our limitedness. Whereas God turns man back into dust, having been consumed by His anger, our years finished with a sigh after seventy, or if due strength eighty years of labor and sorrow, since even our secret sins have been placed in the light of His presence, the LORD God reigns over time in such a way that a thousand years in His sight are like yesterday when it passes by. Like Moses, you need to remind yourself of God's transcendence often. The problems of our world are manifest and easy to see. But as you see the world in the light of God's sovereign control, you can see the purposes and work He has for you. So your prayer each morning, like Moses', ought to be that the Lord God would confirm for us the work of our hands; Yes! confirm the work of our hands, that we too might be considered men and women of God! Dig Deeper Having reminded himself of the Lord's transcendence as he acknowledged God not just at the beginning, but all through his prayer, Moses presents God with a list of petitions. Notice that Moses doesn't just ask for a bunch of ordinary stuff, the way we too often do. Rather, Moses' primary request in the final section of his prayer is that our lives be aligned with God's will: Teach us to number our days. Such an attitude that realizes the brevity of life results in a heart of wisdom. Moses longs for the LORD's return. When's the last time one of your prayers requested God to come back sooner than later? Moses prays that he'd be satisfied with God's lovingkindness - that is, God's covenant faithfulness - so that we may sing for joy and be glad all of our days. Moses asks that the days God has afflicted us would make us glad! Not all of our problems are a gift from God meant to correct us and strengthen our dependence on Him, but many are. Pray that they do the trick! Moses then prays that God's will would be made clear and obvious to us, that His work and majesty would appear to God's servants and our children. Finally, Moses prays that the favor of the Lord our God be upon us and that He'd confirm the work of our hands. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father in heaven, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Choose one or two of Moses' requests for alignment and make it your own; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

One cannot be saved without believing in the Trinity firmly and faithfully. Gospels: Week 3 - Jesus' authority to call, heal, forgive, and welcome sinners John 5:1–16 (NASB95) 1 After these things there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the sheep gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five porticoes. 3 In these lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, and withered... 5 A man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had already been a long time in that condition, He said to him, “Do you wish to get well?” 7 The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” 8 Jesus said to him, “Get up, pick up your pallet and walk.” 9 Immediately the man became well, and picked up his pallet and began to walk. Now it was the Sabbath on that day. 10 So the Jews were saying to the man who was cured, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not permissible for you to carry your pallet.” 11 But he answered them, “He who made me well was the one who said to me, ‘Pick up your pallet and walk.’ ” 12 They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Pick up your pallet and walk’?” 13 But the man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away while there was a crowd in that place. 14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “Behold, you have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you.” 15 The man went away, and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. 16 For this reason the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because He was doing these things on the Sabbath. 17 But He answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.” 18 For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God. Athanasian Creed ...Now this is the catholic faith: That we worship one God in trinity and the trinity in unity, neither blending their persons nor dividing their essence. --- Anyone then who desires to be saved should think thus about the trinity. Summary It didn't take long for the Jewish establishment to identify the 'problem' with Jesus. John spells it out plainly: it was for this reason: He not only was breaking the Sabbath - this was a problem, but one that their penal code was well equipped to remedy - but also He was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God. The Jews held the entire Old Testament in esteem, but there's one particular verse that they cling to more than any other. It's the verse that they memorize and recite daily called the Shema: Deut. 6:4 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. So it's somewhat understandable at this point why it is that they're so upset with Jesus. It's certainly not because He's healing the sick, or in the case of today's passage, enabling the lame and withered to not just walk again, but to pick up his pallet. Other translations render that final word as mat, which isn't all bad, but the pallet was likely a bit more substantial than just a rolled up cushion, which is why it flagged the attention of the Sabbath police. The whole thing might have just been a forgettable incident - one of numerous Sabbath infractions that likely got cracked down upon that day - but Jesus purposefully escalated it with His reply implicating the LORD God - the ONE and ONLY God - as being His Father, and that both of them were continually working. Jesus here doesn't mention what it was that He and His Father were working on, but we now know that they're working all things together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). Dig Deeper It's not that these Jews were wrong - the LORD our God most certainly is ONE! It's just that Jesus knew what this meant in a way that nobody had ever considered - that God is ONE in essence and THREE in person. It's true that the word 'Trinity' isn't found anywhere in the Bible. We can't even turn to one specific passage that neatly unpacks it all. But once you understand it conceptually, the idea shows up on nearly every page of Scripture, in both the Old and New Testaments. This was the prevailing issue that the early church wrestled with. And it wasn't just a generation or two for whom this was a pet issue or hobby horse; this discussion and debate went on for centuries. Men devoted their entire lives to studying the Scriptures and choosing just the right words - even spending years debating one single letter in a word! - so that the Church might properly know and worship our Triune (three / one) God. All so that you could know the full extent of what Jesus meant when He said so long ago that My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working... to sovereignly secure your eternal salvation. All three of what we now call the Ecumenical Creeds center on the subject of the Trinity. We know the Apostles' Creed the best, and are somewhat familiar with the second - the Nicene Creed. But the third and final is called the Athanasian Creed, which was finished over four centuries after Jesus ascended, describes the Trinity in the most detail. It ends with these words: This is the catholic (universal) faith: one cannot be saved without believing it firmly and faithfully. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you would believe what the Bible teaches firmly and faithfully; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

You are a follower of Jesus Christ. So what does that mean? Gospels: Week 3 - Jesus' authority to call, heal, forgive, and welcome sinners Faithlife.com Matthew 9:9–13 (NASB95) 9 As Jesus went on from there [the healing of the paralytic that we read about yesterday], He saw a man called Matthew, sitting in the tax collector’s booth; and He said to him, “Follow Me!” And he got up and followed Him. 10 Then it happened that as Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were dining with Jesus and His disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, “Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?” 12 But when Jesus heard this, He said, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. 13 “But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire compassion, and not sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Canons of Dordt Point III/IV, Article 11: The Holy Spirit’s Work in Conversion When God carries out this good pleasure in his chosen ones, or works true conversion in them, he not only sees to it that the gospel is proclaimed to them outwardly, and enlightens their minds powerfully by the Holy Spirit so that they may rightly understand and discern the things of the Spirit of God, but, by the effective operation of the same regenerating Spirit, he also penetrates into the inmost being of man, opens the closed heart, softens the hard heart, and circumcises the heart that is uncircumcised. He infuses new qualities into the will, making the dead will alive, the evil one good, the unwilling one willing, and the stubborn one compliant; he activates and strengthens the will so that, like a good tree, it may be enabled to produce the fruits of good deeds. Summary The first thing we read about Matthew is his occupation, and he couldn't have a worse one for the Jewish society he lived in. Tax collectors are never popular people, but ultimately we all sooner or later grudgingly concede that taxes are necessary part of national citizenship and therefore somebody must collect them. But imagine if you were forced to pay taxes to an enemy occupier of your nation, and then to make it even worse, if those collecting the taxes extorted an exorbitant fee on top of the taxes in a mafia like way. This is the reality that first century Jews faced and why they would have hated men like Matthew so much. But, with a simple two word command from Jesus, Matthew's life completely changed. Jesus tersely said follow me, and he got up and followed Him, leaving his substantial income generating tax collector's booth behind forever. But their first stop wasn't far away; it was Matthew's own house, and soon Jesus was reclining at the table. Such a visit on Jesus' part violated reams of rules and customs developed by the Pharisees, a political/religious party set against the growing theological liberalism of their rival Sadducees who comprised the majority of the Sanhedrin (a governing group with limited authority in Israel). And to make matters worse, Jesus wasn't just reclining at the table with His new disciple, but with many tax collectors and sinners (sinners here are people on the fringes of society who'd given up keeping the Pharisees' made up rules - or any other rules for that matter). But upon hearing the Pharisees' grumblings, Jesus quotes a well known proverb about how it's not the healthy, but those who are sick - people like tax collectors and sinners - who need a physician. Jesus then quotes the prophet Hosea to them reminding that God desires compassion and not sacrifice and adds that He didn't come to call the righteous - because nobody is truly righteous! - but sinners like the people reclining at the table with Him. Dig Deeper Jesus' command to Matthew may have only been two words - follow me! - but this seemingly simple order had all sorts of major implications, for Matthew so long ago, but also for you here and now. One of the most basic understandings of what it means to be a Christian is that you are a follower of Jesus Christ. So what does that mean? We don't have the space here for a full and complete definition, but we can note a few things here that it meant for Matthew that also apply to you. First of all, it means that you must leave behind the pursuits of the world - especially if they're sinful like what Matthew's tax collection enterprise was, but even beyond that, you must leave behind anything that inhibits or distracts you from following Jesus with all your heart, soul, mind and strength (as God had commanded His people so long before). Secondly, to truly follow Jesus - the great physician - you must first realize that you're not spiritually healthy on your own, but quite sick. In fact, as Paul will go on to describe it, you're actually dead in your sins and trespasses and desperately need to be healed. But just as pride can keep us from the doctor for our physical health because we think we can handle various illnesses and conditions ourselves, it's even more powerful in keeping you from clinging to Christ as you try over and over to fix yourself. But again, we see here the wonderful good news of the gospel: Jesus hasn't called the righteous to be His followers. Indeed, as we've already seen, who then would be His followers? So far as we've been reading the gospels now for just over two weeks, we've seen two primary commands from Jesus: first of all, repent - that is, think differently than the world by confessing and turning away from sin. And now as we've read today, follow Jesus, who came to call sinners like us to salvation. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, whose sent His Son to bring sinners back into a good relationship with Him; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will follow Jesus with all of your heart, mind, soul and strength; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

Are your expectations of God high enough? Gospels: Week 3 - Jesus' authority to call, heal, forgive, and welcome sinners Mark 2:1–12 (NASB95) 1 When He had come back to Capernaum several days afterward, it was heard that He was at home. 2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room, not even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them. 3 And they came, bringing to Him a paralytic, carried by four men. 4 Being unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him; and when they had dug an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic was lying. 5 And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6 But some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 Immediately Jesus, aware in His spirit that they were reasoning that way within themselves, said to them, “Why are you reasoning about these things in your hearts? 9 “Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven’; or to say, ‘Get up, and pick up your pallet and walk’? 10 “But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, 11 “I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet and go home.” 12 And he got up and immediately picked up the pallet and went out in the sight of everyone, so that they were all amazed and were glorifying God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this.” Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 125 Q. What does the fourth request of the Lord's Prayer mean? A. “Give us today our daily bread” means, Do take care of all our physical needs so that we come to know that you are the only source of everything good, and that neither our work and worry nor your gifts can do us any good without your blessing. And so help us to give up our trust in creatures and to put trust in you alone. Q&A 126 Q. What does the fifth request mean? A. “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” means, Because of Christ’s blood, do not hold against us, poor sinners that we are, any of the sins we do or the evil that constantly clings to us. Forgive us just as we are fully determined, as evidence of your grace in us, to forgive our neighbors. Summary What kind of expectations do you have for our Triune God? The four men carrying a paralytic to Jesus came with higher expectations than most, along with a faith that stands out. Lots of people were coming to Jesus in theses early days of His ministry, flocking around wherever He went. So when they hear that He was at home, the crowd showed up there so that there was no longer room, not even near the door. All sorts of people came, even a key element of their society's elite establishment class: the scribes. Mark doesn't say in today's passage what the crowd's expectations were, but the previous passage makes clear that they'd heard about Jesus' miracle working power, and they wanted to see - and maybe even experience - more. Jesus, for His part, doesn't miss the opportunity to speak the word to them. We'll see this tension grow as we read through the gospels: the crowd wants one thing - miracles - but Jesus simply wants to teach and prepare them for the kingdom of God, which He's been announcing has come near. Suddenly the ceiling opened up, and has now become famous, the paralytic was lowered down. It seems pretty clear what the unspoken expectation for Jesus to do was, but instead Jesus stuns everyone by ignoring the presenting problem - paralysis - and treating the man's much more pressing problem by announcing to the man that his sins are forgiven. Even the high expectations of these men for Jesus to heal their friend were too low. Dig Deeper So again, what kind of expectations do you have for our Triune God? A good way to quantify them is to analyze what you've been praying for. No prayers whatsoever indicates you have no or very low expectations. Maybe you've simply been asking Him to give you each day your daily bread the way He commanded us to. But your actual expectations are likely a bit higher, in that you probably assume that God is obligated to provide you that daily bread with a generous topping of butter and in a nicely appointed and air conditioned dining room. And maybe your expectations - and even your faith - soar even higher than the men in today's episode as you boldly present your requests to God as Philippians 4:6 commands us (requests could even be translated as demands!). And it's not wrong, having aligned your life with God's will, to ask Him for whatever you need - and even want! He both invites us and commands us to do so! But if your requests are limited to things under the Sun (as our Teacher in Ecclesiastes taught us a few weeks ago), your expectations for God are too low. Even if you present your requests as boldly and as faithfully as these men did in Jesus' home that day so long ago. Jesus wanted those gathered together in His home, and He wants you, to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. And this is the greatest thing you can expect and ask from Him! Forgiveness is what you need to repair the broken covenant relationship you have with God so that you can live with Him in the communion He designed you for. So keep asking God for what you need under the sun. These things are important, and as Jesus teaches elsewhere, your Father knows that you need them (Matthew 6:32). But don't aim too low. Jesus wants you to know that you can have the highest expectations for Him. So always make your request for your debts to be forgiven primary - in Jesus' words, seek first His kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (Matthew 6:33). AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, whose Son has authority on earth to forgive sins; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that the Spirit would help raise your expectations of our Triune God; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

What have you left to follow Jesus? Gospels: Week 3 - Jesus' authority to call, heal, forgive, and welcome sinners Luke 5:1–11 (NASB95) 1 Now it happened that while the crowd was pressing around Him and listening to the word of God, He was standing by the lake of Gennesaret; 2 and He saw two boats lying at the edge of the lake; but the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets. 3 And He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little way from the land. And He sat down and began teaching the people from the boat. 4 When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 Simon answered and said, “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets.” 6 When they had done this, they enclosed a great quantity of fish, and their nets began to break; 7 so they signaled to their partners in the other boat for them to come and help them. And they came and filled both of the boats, so that they began to sink. 8 But when Simon Peter saw that, he fell down at Jesus’ feet, saying, “Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!” 9 For amazement had seized him and all his companions because of the catch of fish which they had taken; 10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not fear, from now on you will be catching men.” 11 When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him. Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 21 Q. What is true faith? A. True faith is not only a knowledge and conviction that everything God reveals in his Word is true; it is also a deep-rooted assurance, created in me by the Holy Spirit through the gospel, that, out of sheer grace earned for us by Christ, not only others, but I too, have had my sins forgiven, have been made forever right with God, and have been granted salvation. Summary As Jesus begins His public ministry, the crowd pressing around Him keep getting bigger. Certainly many of the people have come simply to see or even experience one of the miraculous healings from Jesus that everybody had been talking about, but at the beginning of today's passage, Jesus has the crowd right where He wants them (and us!): listening to the word of God. Soon the crowd had become so large that Jesus needed to expand His auditorium, so to speak, so He got into Simon's boat and began teaching the people from the boat. But Luke doesn't report any of the specifics of Jesus' lesson; rather, he directs our attention to what happened after it. Our first clue came when Jesus saw two boats lying at the edge of the lake; but the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets. As Simon (whom we know better as Peter) tells Jesus, they'd worked hard all night and caught nothing. The end of their long shift was near, and although their work left them emptyhanded, at least they could get some rest. But Jesus had other plans for them, ordering Simon to put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch. The resulting catch was so overwhelming that it began to break the nets and nearly sank Simon's boat before they to called out for reinforcements. Dig Deeper It's always easy to pick on Peter - the impetuous disciple who so often speaks and impulsively acts out before thinking, and who'd famously go on to deny Jesus on that dark Friday morning. But Peter, more so than any of the other disciples demonstrates a massive amount of faith time after time - faith that's clear to see in today's episode. You can feel the chagrin in Peter's voice as Jesus gives him the seemingly ridiculous order to head back out - an order that would add multiple hours to the fishermen's already long day. Peter tells Jesus of the previous night's failure (a supremely hard thing for any fisherman to admit!), but then immediately adds but I will do as you say and let down the nets. That's true faith! Remind yourself of all of the seeming ridiculous things God has asked people to do in the Old Testament passages we've read this year, and how God rewarded the faithfulness of people who let go of 'common sense' in order to fully cling to our omnipotent Father. Then there's Peter's gut wrenching reaction to the massive catch of fish, for amazement had seized him and all his companions. They suddenly realized that Jesus was no ordinary man, and it becomes painfully plain to Peter that as a sinful man he had no place in Jesus' presence. It's because Peter was so aware of the magnitude of his sin that he'd go on to appreciate so much what it was that Christ accomplished for him (read the first chapter of his first letter for a reminder!). As today's passage ends, these newly minted disciples brought their boats to land - the equivalent of tens of thousands of dollars in equipment (if not more) that they depended on for their families' livelihoods. Fishing wasn't just a hobby for these guys - they had a massive commercial operation going on here. But Luke tells is that they left everything and followed Jesus. What will you give up to follow Him? AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who often proves our faith by ordering things that seem so ridiculous and impossible to us; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that your faith would be as strong and robust as Peter's; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

God's righteousness and your peace have come together. Bible.com PSALM 85 (NASB) For the choir director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. 1 O LORD, You showed favor to Your land; You restored the captivity of Jacob. 2 You forgave the iniquity of Your people; You covered all their sin. Selah. 3 You withdrew all Your fury; You turned away from Your burning anger. 4 Restore us, O God of our salvation, And cause Your indignation toward us to cease. 5 Will You be angry with us forever? Will You prolong Your anger to all generations? 6 Will You not Yourself revive us again, That Your people may rejoice in You? 7 Show us Your lovingkindness, O Lord, And grant us Your salvation. 8 I will hear what God the Lord will say; For He will speak peace to His people, to His godly ones; But let them not turn back to folly. 9 Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, That glory may dwell in our land. 10 Lovingkindness and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed each other. 11 Truth springs from the earth, And righteousness looks down from heaven. 12 Indeed, the LORD will give what is good, And our land will yield its produce. 13 Righteousness will go before Him And will make His footsteps into a way. Canons of Dordt Point 2, Article 1 - The Punishment Which God’s Justice Requires God is not only supremely merciful, but also supremely just. This justice requires (as God has revealed in the Word) that the sins we have committed against his infinite majesty be punished with both temporal and eternal punishments, of soul as well as body. We cannot escape these punishments unless satisfaction is given to God’s justice. Summary Psalm 85 poetically presents the process of repentance. Notice where repentance so often begins - conventional wisdom places its first steps in realizing the wrongness of your actions. Although such a realization is an important step, the psalmist in v1-3 places the first step of repentance in being reminded of God's simultaneously righteous and gracious nature. The LORD showed favor, He restored the fortunes and forgave iniquity and covered sins. He set aside wrath (other translations: hot/burning/raging anger) and turned from His fierce anger. It makes sense that repentance must begin with this theological understanding of who God is. Why else would one repent if there was no fear of punishment? Why would one repent if there was no possibility of the resulting hot/burning/raging anger and wrath being set aside? The superscriptions that precede many Psalms are different than the headings that appear before other passages in the Bible. Those headings have been added by the publisher as a handy convenience to help us locate and summarize passages. But the superscriptions in the psalms are an ancient indication of not only who wrote the psalm, but what the psalm was written for. There are 55 psalms (roughly 1/3) designated for the director of music. Among other things, it meant the psalm was a key part of ancient Hebrew liturgy - it was meant to be sung by all the people. Notice here that God wanted His people singing of His wrath! But not just singing about its hot/burning/raging nature, but about how God sets it aside in order to show favor, restore and forgive the sins which He has covered. Dig Deeper After completing this critical first step of coming to understand God's righteous / gracious nature, Psalm 85 walks us through the remaining aspects of repentance: Asking God our Savior to restore (v4) and revive (v6) us; Promising to listen to what God the LORD says; Being certain that His salvation is near those who fear Him, and that somehow God doesn't compromise His holy nature as He forgives our sin. God's covenant requirements (ḥěʹ·sěḏ) are met by His faithfulness, and His righteousness [holy justice] and peace kiss each other. To the psalmist, this must have seemed impossible. Of course we know that God accomplished this through Christ! An assurance that upon our repentance, that the LORD will indeed give what is good. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, God our Savior in whom loving kindness and truth are met together; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that as you prepare for Lord's Day worship that your church's music and liturgy will remind you that God has set aside His wrath and calls you to repent before Him; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: