1 00:00:04,471 --> 00:00:06,940 I appreciate you being here. 2 00:00:06,940 --> 00:00:09,142 On this Sunday, as we go through parts 3 00:00:09,142 --> 00:00:12,312 of the book of Matthew, I titled this series Kingdom. 4 00:00:12,312 --> 00:00:15,849 Now, and we're studying through the book of Matthew, 5 00:00:16,649 --> 00:00:19,352 chapter by chapter, section by section. 6 00:00:19,352 --> 00:00:21,421 And this morning 7 00:00:21,421 --> 00:00:23,523 we're going to make it through chapter four. 8 00:00:23,523 --> 00:00:25,959 We ended halfway through chapter four last week. 9 00:00:25,959 --> 00:00:27,260 We're going to finish chapter four. 10 00:00:27,260 --> 00:00:28,962 And I want to introduce you 11 00:00:28,962 --> 00:00:32,365 to a couple of different passages, one in Matthew six and one in Matthew five. 12 00:00:32,399 --> 00:00:35,402 So we're going to be on a little journey this morning together. 13 00:00:35,435 --> 00:00:37,437 As we go through this. 14 00:00:37,437 --> 00:00:40,040 One of the things that we'll see. 15 00:00:40,040 --> 00:00:43,043 We'll see crowds around Jesus 16 00:00:43,343 --> 00:00:45,845 and we'll see disciples of Jesus. 17 00:00:45,845 --> 00:00:49,049 And my hope this morning is that we'll be able to identify 18 00:00:49,449 --> 00:00:53,019 which of those two groups that we've chosen to belong to. 19 00:00:54,354 --> 00:00:56,256 And, let me 20 00:00:56,256 --> 00:00:59,259 get into the chapter four, verse 12. 21 00:01:00,060 --> 00:01:03,063 We're going to be introduced to a well, introduced to it 22 00:01:03,063 --> 00:01:06,066 to a, a a situation. 23 00:01:07,467 --> 00:01:10,470 And not told a lot of details about it. 24 00:01:10,637 --> 00:01:13,473 We'll study the details of it later. 25 00:01:13,473 --> 00:01:16,843 But we're just kind of thrown into a statement 26 00:01:16,843 --> 00:01:20,513 about about something that's happened in verse 12. 27 00:01:20,547 --> 00:01:24,417 It says, now when he Jesus heard that John had been arrested, 28 00:01:24,751 --> 00:01:26,152 he withdrew into Galilee. 29 00:01:26,152 --> 00:01:29,155 That's all it really says about this event. 30 00:01:29,222 --> 00:01:30,423 It doesn't tell us much about it. 31 00:01:30,423 --> 00:01:35,795 Here in Matthew 14, Matthew will tell us with this story that happened, 32 00:01:36,463 --> 00:01:39,866 like why, John, this is John the Baptist, why John the Baptist was arrested. 33 00:01:40,366 --> 00:01:42,368 The result of that arrest. 34 00:01:42,368 --> 00:01:44,504 He would actually be beheaded because of that. 35 00:01:45,939 --> 00:01:48,274 Through that arrest. 36 00:01:48,274 --> 00:01:51,244 And right now, Matthew just says, Jesus heard 37 00:01:51,244 --> 00:01:52,846 John was arrested through withdrew into Galilee. 38 00:01:52,846 --> 00:01:54,647 Doesn't tell us many details. 39 00:01:54,647 --> 00:01:57,650 We're not going to look at those details this morning other than 40 00:01:57,951 --> 00:02:00,987 to say those details are in Matthew four 2400 ahead. 41 00:02:01,020 --> 00:02:04,891 We'll get to it whenever we get to Matthew chapter 14. 42 00:02:05,758 --> 00:02:08,761 Maybe mid next year or so at this rate. 43 00:02:09,829 --> 00:02:11,731 But I will say this, 44 00:02:11,731 --> 00:02:15,435 that John the Baptist, as the forerunner of Jesus to eat, 45 00:02:15,435 --> 00:02:19,172 was here to prepare the way for Jesus's public ministry. 46 00:02:20,773 --> 00:02:24,744 He became the first New Testament martyr. 47 00:02:24,777 --> 00:02:28,481 Now, he wasn't the first martyr of the church that Stephen, 48 00:02:28,481 --> 00:02:31,484 but the church had been established yet. 49 00:02:31,551 --> 00:02:34,120 And so Stephen be the first member of the church. 50 00:02:34,120 --> 00:02:37,590 But John the Baptist is the first martyr in the New Testament. 51 00:02:38,491 --> 00:02:40,593 And John was martyred. 52 00:02:40,593 --> 00:02:45,865 He was he was beheaded not because he preached Christ 53 00:02:45,865 --> 00:02:51,905 and the gospel, but simply because he confronted immorality. 54 00:02:53,006 --> 00:02:53,273 And he 55 00:02:53,273 --> 00:02:56,276 confronted the immorality of the king. 56 00:02:56,643 --> 00:02:59,646 He called out sin for what sin was. 57 00:03:00,046 --> 00:03:02,448 He spoke the truth about sin, 58 00:03:02,448 --> 00:03:05,451 and he spoke the truth about immoral living. 59 00:03:05,685 --> 00:03:08,955 And for that he was arrested and beheaded. 60 00:03:10,190 --> 00:03:12,258 Friends, please understand 61 00:03:12,258 --> 00:03:16,563 that in this day and day and age in our culture, just like then, 62 00:03:17,063 --> 00:03:20,066 you can be canceled for many, many different reasons. 63 00:03:21,367 --> 00:03:24,837 And if one chooses to speak out, 64 00:03:26,439 --> 00:03:29,776 against sin and immorality, 65 00:03:30,910 --> 00:03:33,913 this culture will revolt against you. 66 00:03:34,080 --> 00:03:36,783 That's okay. 67 00:03:36,783 --> 00:03:37,884 And it did against John. 68 00:03:37,884 --> 00:03:39,452 He had been arrested. 69 00:03:39,452 --> 00:03:42,455 He would eventually be beheaded. 70 00:03:44,490 --> 00:03:47,493 And and I think, honestly, 71 00:03:47,660 --> 00:03:51,231 I think John was okay with how things went down. 72 00:03:51,864 --> 00:03:53,132 And here's why. 73 00:03:53,132 --> 00:03:57,136 Because John said of himself in John 330, 74 00:03:57,637 --> 00:04:01,641 he Jesus must increase, but I must decrease. 75 00:04:02,709 --> 00:04:03,042 Now, I'm 76 00:04:03,042 --> 00:04:06,346 sure John didn't have in mind when he said those words. 77 00:04:07,013 --> 00:04:09,649 His own beheading, 78 00:04:09,649 --> 00:04:12,452 but he was very comfortable 79 00:04:12,452 --> 00:04:15,421 with the idea that Jesus, 80 00:04:16,723 --> 00:04:19,726 must increase, and I have to get out of the way. 81 00:04:20,526 --> 00:04:23,162 And so God took him out of the way. 82 00:04:23,162 --> 00:04:25,698 He said, John, you've done your job. 83 00:04:25,698 --> 00:04:27,667 I put you on earth 84 00:04:27,667 --> 00:04:31,504 to prepare the way for my son 85 00:04:32,372 --> 00:04:35,375 so that he could come into his public ministry. 86 00:04:36,209 --> 00:04:38,745 You've done a great job of that. 87 00:04:38,745 --> 00:04:42,315 But your mission and your purpose is complete. 88 00:04:43,383 --> 00:04:46,286 And now I need to get you out of the way. 89 00:04:46,286 --> 00:04:49,289 And so God did, by beheading. 90 00:04:50,657 --> 00:04:53,326 And God said, John, I realize that, 91 00:04:53,326 --> 00:04:56,429 by most people's accounts, your life is going to be cut short. 92 00:04:56,462 --> 00:04:57,730 It's not. 93 00:04:57,730 --> 00:05:00,300 You've done exactly as I asked you to do. 94 00:05:00,300 --> 00:05:04,971 And now I'm going to take you to be with me and share in your master's happiness. 95 00:05:05,638 --> 00:05:07,874 You don't have to get old. You don't have to get decrepit. 96 00:05:07,874 --> 00:05:10,510 You don't have to get seen. I don't have to get sick. 97 00:05:10,510 --> 00:05:14,247 I'm just going to take you right now because you've completed your task. 98 00:05:14,881 --> 00:05:16,115 I love that. 99 00:05:16,115 --> 00:05:19,118 It reminds me of what the Bible says in acts 1336. 100 00:05:19,552 --> 00:05:22,789 David served God's purpose in his generation, and then he died. 101 00:05:23,756 --> 00:05:26,092 What a glorious statement. 102 00:05:26,092 --> 00:05:27,460 That's what I want on my gravestone. 103 00:05:27,460 --> 00:05:30,463 Carl served God's purposes a generation, and then he died. 104 00:05:30,763 --> 00:05:33,766 Who wants to be around here longer than we have to? 105 00:05:34,667 --> 00:05:37,337 And so God said, okay, John, you're done. 106 00:05:37,337 --> 00:05:42,075 Now you will decrease, and I'm going to take you to heaven so my son can increase. 107 00:05:42,975 --> 00:05:44,777 And that's exactly how it went down. 108 00:05:44,777 --> 00:05:45,578 Verse 13. 109 00:05:45,578 --> 00:05:49,248 And leaving Nazareth, he, Jesus went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, 110 00:05:49,415 --> 00:05:50,917 in the territory of Zebulun. 111 00:05:50,917 --> 00:05:55,455 And Naphtali, so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled. 112 00:05:55,888 --> 00:05:58,124 The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, 113 00:05:58,124 --> 00:06:01,260 the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles. 114 00:06:01,627 --> 00:06:04,464 The people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light. 115 00:06:04,464 --> 00:06:07,500 And for those dwelling in the region of the shadow of death 116 00:06:07,800 --> 00:06:11,437 on them a light has dawned from that time Jesus began 117 00:06:11,437 --> 00:06:15,641 to preach, saying, repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 118 00:06:17,076 --> 00:06:20,079 Jesus moves now his home base, 119 00:06:20,580 --> 00:06:24,450 into Galilee, in Capernaum by the sea. 120 00:06:24,484 --> 00:06:25,051 Capernaum. 121 00:06:25,051 --> 00:06:28,054 It's this whole area of Galilee, but especially Capernaum. 122 00:06:28,054 --> 00:06:29,522 It's a great little place. 123 00:06:29,522 --> 00:06:32,458 It's beautiful. 124 00:06:32,458 --> 00:06:35,628 And it's the place where Jesus would make his home base. 125 00:06:36,162 --> 00:06:38,731 And it's in this place, Capernaum, 126 00:06:38,731 --> 00:06:42,168 that Jesus calls James and John, 127 00:06:43,069 --> 00:06:47,206 Peter and Andrew and Matthew, because they all lived in Capernaum. 128 00:06:48,074 --> 00:06:50,777 And so Jesus is in where he lives. 129 00:06:50,777 --> 00:06:56,282 He says, these are the guys basically in my huddle, and I'm going to go after them. 130 00:06:56,949 --> 00:07:02,088 And so James and John, Peter and Andrew, Matthew, five of the disciples 131 00:07:02,088 --> 00:07:06,025 of five of the 12 lived in Capernaum, where Jesus is making his home base, 132 00:07:07,493 --> 00:07:09,762 and he calls them 133 00:07:09,762 --> 00:07:10,363 this. 134 00:07:10,363 --> 00:07:13,299 I love the fact that that that Jesus 135 00:07:13,299 --> 00:07:17,236 makes his, his, his, his headquarters, Capernaum 136 00:07:17,236 --> 00:07:21,107 in Galilee, because it's kind of a place that's forgotten about. 137 00:07:21,340 --> 00:07:23,409 It was a nice place. It's beautiful. 138 00:07:23,409 --> 00:07:24,210 I've been there. 139 00:07:25,611 --> 00:07:28,614 But it's it's it's it's not along the beaten path. 140 00:07:29,081 --> 00:07:32,752 It's the it's the little town that that where the hicks live. 141 00:07:34,086 --> 00:07:35,354 It's the little country place. 142 00:07:35,354 --> 00:07:39,225 It's the place between Fresno Madera that nobody stops and they all drive through. 143 00:07:40,359 --> 00:07:41,894 And I love that. 144 00:07:41,894 --> 00:07:44,497 I love that. 145 00:07:44,497 --> 00:07:46,899 It's the hillbilly redneck place. 146 00:07:46,899 --> 00:07:49,902 And, Jesus, like, I think I'll start there. 147 00:07:50,169 --> 00:07:52,171 And what the Bible says about this 148 00:07:52,171 --> 00:07:55,174 place, the Galilee of the Gentiles. 149 00:07:55,408 --> 00:07:58,678 And it says, for those dwelling in the region of the shadow of death 150 00:07:58,878 --> 00:08:02,882 on them a light has drawn the reputation of this area 151 00:08:03,382 --> 00:08:07,019 was just, as Isaiah said, a region of the shadow of death. 152 00:08:07,019 --> 00:08:08,754 And here's why. 153 00:08:08,754 --> 00:08:12,024 Because when God's people were living in the Promised Land, 154 00:08:12,124 --> 00:08:16,395 in an Old Testament times, Assyria from the north came down. 155 00:08:16,395 --> 00:08:18,331 And this is the north of the land. 156 00:08:18,331 --> 00:08:19,765 The galleries up in the north. 157 00:08:19,765 --> 00:08:22,768 Assyria came down and invaded 158 00:08:22,802 --> 00:08:25,671 the northern part of Israel, 159 00:08:25,671 --> 00:08:29,976 and later years later, the Babylonians came down through Assyria 160 00:08:29,976 --> 00:08:33,579 and invaded Israel again and took the ten 161 00:08:33,579 --> 00:08:37,416 northern tribes back into captivity for 70 years into Babylon. 162 00:08:37,450 --> 00:08:41,120 So this area had seen a lot of destruction, 163 00:08:41,153 --> 00:08:44,824 a lot of war, a lot of death, a lot of difficulty. 164 00:08:45,258 --> 00:08:48,060 And the by and so it was known as the region 165 00:08:48,060 --> 00:08:51,898 of the shadow of death because it had just been decimated over and over and over. 166 00:08:53,432 --> 00:08:56,402 And the Bible says on them a light has dawned. 167 00:08:56,636 --> 00:08:59,639 Here's here's what I want us to glean from this. 168 00:09:00,339 --> 00:09:01,140 Your life. 169 00:09:01,140 --> 00:09:04,477 My life may have had many times in the past 170 00:09:05,311 --> 00:09:07,513 when things have been destroyed, 171 00:09:07,513 --> 00:09:10,383 when things have been brutalized, 172 00:09:10,383 --> 00:09:14,820 when there's been destruction, when there's been difficulty and pain. 173 00:09:15,454 --> 00:09:18,457 And even in those times when Jesus shows up, 174 00:09:19,158 --> 00:09:21,861 light dawns. 175 00:09:21,861 --> 00:09:24,864 And so, friends, please don't get so 176 00:09:25,064 --> 00:09:27,900 frustrated, discouraged. 177 00:09:27,900 --> 00:09:31,771 Don't lose hope so much that you say it's been this way for so long. 178 00:09:31,771 --> 00:09:34,941 It will never get better when Jesus arrives. 179 00:09:35,441 --> 00:09:36,842 Okay? 180 00:09:36,842 --> 00:09:39,245 Light appears 181 00:09:39,245 --> 00:09:41,614 no matter how dark it might be. 182 00:09:41,614 --> 00:09:43,883 If God has you here, you're here for a reason, here 183 00:09:43,883 --> 00:09:46,886 for a purpose. 184 00:09:46,919 --> 00:09:49,455 The light will not. 185 00:09:49,455 --> 00:09:52,458 And from that time on, verse 17, 186 00:09:52,458 --> 00:09:56,028 Jesus says, what is repent? 187 00:09:56,929 --> 00:09:58,230 For the kingdom of God is at hand. 188 00:09:58,230 --> 00:10:02,268 When, when John the Baptist was preparing the way for Jesus 189 00:10:02,668 --> 00:10:06,572 before Jesus started his public ministry, what was John's message that he preached 190 00:10:07,840 --> 00:10:08,441 to remember? 191 00:10:08,441 --> 00:10:10,910 We talked about it last week. 192 00:10:10,910 --> 00:10:13,746 Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 193 00:10:13,746 --> 00:10:16,582 It's the exact same message. 194 00:10:16,582 --> 00:10:19,585 John came preaching a message of repentance. 195 00:10:19,952 --> 00:10:21,754 Get right with the Lord. 196 00:10:21,754 --> 00:10:24,757 Change your life, 197 00:10:25,124 --> 00:10:28,127 for the kingdom of heaven is here. 198 00:10:28,527 --> 00:10:30,863 God said, John, you were right when you said, 199 00:10:30,863 --> 00:10:32,231 you must decrease, you must increase. 200 00:10:32,231 --> 00:10:34,333 So I'm going to get you out of the way now. 201 00:10:34,333 --> 00:10:39,538 Jesus comes and preaches the exact same message repent! 202 00:10:40,139 --> 00:10:42,642 The kingdom of heaven is at hand. 203 00:10:42,642 --> 00:10:47,513 Repentance is the paramount message all through the New Testament. 204 00:10:47,980 --> 00:10:51,851 It's the message John preach is the message Jesus preached. 205 00:10:52,018 --> 00:10:54,320 It's the message the disciples preached. 206 00:10:54,320 --> 00:10:57,623 It's the message Jesus gave the church to preach. 207 00:10:57,823 --> 00:11:00,359 Once he has it, it's the message Paul preached. 208 00:11:00,359 --> 00:11:03,362 Repent. Change your life. 209 00:11:03,663 --> 00:11:06,666 To repent means to change direction. 210 00:11:06,866 --> 00:11:09,201 Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 211 00:11:11,771 --> 00:11:12,371 And so then 212 00:11:12,371 --> 00:11:15,441 in verse 18, we see Jesus call his first disciples. 213 00:11:15,441 --> 00:11:18,444 And I want to look at his call of the disciples. 214 00:11:18,811 --> 00:11:21,414 What? What it entailed. 215 00:11:21,414 --> 00:11:25,851 And then I want to look at the crowd that came to follow Jesus. 216 00:11:25,851 --> 00:11:29,722 In verse 18, while walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, 217 00:11:29,722 --> 00:11:32,792 Simon, who was called Peter, and Andrew, his brother, casting 218 00:11:32,792 --> 00:11:35,795 a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 219 00:11:36,262 --> 00:11:40,066 And he said to them, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. 220 00:11:40,733 --> 00:11:44,770 Immediately they left their nets and followed him, and going on from there 221 00:11:44,770 --> 00:11:49,041 he saw two other brothers, James, a son of Zebedee, and John, his brother, 222 00:11:49,275 --> 00:11:52,111 in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. 223 00:11:52,111 --> 00:11:56,482 And he called them immediately they left the boat and their father, 224 00:11:56,749 --> 00:11:57,750 and followed him. 225 00:11:59,418 --> 00:12:00,553 This is not the first 226 00:12:00,553 --> 00:12:03,556 time Jesus met these guys. 227 00:12:03,589 --> 00:12:08,427 This is just the first time he personally called them in Luke five three. 228 00:12:08,761 --> 00:12:12,364 And in John 135 through 42, Jesus says, 229 00:12:12,965 --> 00:12:15,968 the Bible tells us that Jesus has already met these guys, 230 00:12:16,635 --> 00:12:19,405 but this is the first time Jesus calls them 231 00:12:19,405 --> 00:12:24,443 to leave their possessions and they become disciples and follow him. 232 00:12:25,544 --> 00:12:28,547 I want to talk about this idea of being a disciple 233 00:12:29,715 --> 00:12:32,118 because 234 00:12:32,118 --> 00:12:34,787 being a disciple of Jesus 235 00:12:34,787 --> 00:12:37,323 means a change in our primary identity. 236 00:12:37,323 --> 00:12:39,992 That's what being a disciple means. 237 00:12:39,992 --> 00:12:42,962 The moment I say Jesus, I will follow you. 238 00:12:43,395 --> 00:12:44,530 You're my leader. 239 00:12:44,530 --> 00:12:49,135 What that entails is a change of primary identity. 240 00:12:49,502 --> 00:12:52,905 Jesus says of these guys, the Bible says they were fishermen 241 00:12:53,706 --> 00:12:56,342 and Jesus says, I will make you fishers of men. 242 00:12:56,342 --> 00:12:58,544 I'm going to change your identity. 243 00:12:58,544 --> 00:13:02,181 I'm to change who who you are at your core. 244 00:13:02,882 --> 00:13:04,083 I'm going to change your purpose. 245 00:13:04,083 --> 00:13:06,085 I'm going to change your title. 246 00:13:06,085 --> 00:13:08,053 I'm going to change your life. 247 00:13:08,053 --> 00:13:09,922 I'm going to change your primary identity. 248 00:13:14,827 --> 00:13:17,096 I want you to notice two 249 00:13:17,096 --> 00:13:20,099 that in changing their primary identity, 250 00:13:20,633 --> 00:13:23,602 what was when Jesus said, come, follow me. 251 00:13:23,602 --> 00:13:26,605 What was their response? 252 00:13:29,008 --> 00:13:30,409 What was their response? 253 00:13:30,409 --> 00:13:35,648 After they left their father, they left their boats. 254 00:13:35,881 --> 00:13:37,883 They left their nets. 255 00:13:37,883 --> 00:13:40,085 They left their employment. 256 00:13:40,085 --> 00:13:43,689 They left the guarantee of a secure future financially. 257 00:13:43,889 --> 00:13:47,560 They left everything. Why? 258 00:13:47,693 --> 00:13:50,696 Because their primary identity had changed. 259 00:13:52,464 --> 00:13:55,367 God, you've called me. 260 00:13:55,367 --> 00:13:58,370 I'm going to leave everything behind. 261 00:13:59,238 --> 00:14:02,241 I'm going to change everything about who I am. 262 00:14:03,576 --> 00:14:07,179 I'm. I'm going to submit to your leadership. 263 00:14:07,947 --> 00:14:10,950 Holy. 264 00:14:16,655 --> 00:14:20,926 In order to be a disciple, there has to be a change of primary identity. 265 00:14:21,093 --> 00:14:24,230 And there has to be a leaving of things behind. 266 00:14:25,831 --> 00:14:28,200 They could not be a disciple of Jesus. 267 00:14:28,200 --> 00:14:32,538 They could not follow Jesus and say, I'm still going to dot, dot, dot. 268 00:14:34,540 --> 00:14:35,274 There had to 269 00:14:35,274 --> 00:14:38,277 be this moment in their lives where they say, 270 00:14:38,577 --> 00:14:41,580 I am completely at your disposal 271 00:14:42,414 --> 00:14:45,417 and whatever you deem appropriate, 272 00:14:46,352 --> 00:14:49,321 I'm agreeable to. 273 00:14:57,162 --> 00:15:00,165 That so vastly different. But. 274 00:15:02,201 --> 00:15:02,868 Then what 275 00:15:02,868 --> 00:15:05,871 we consider these days to be a Christian. 276 00:15:06,739 --> 00:15:09,742 When we consider this day to be a Christian goes along these lines. 277 00:15:10,042 --> 00:15:12,945 God, I have problems and I have trouble. 278 00:15:12,945 --> 00:15:14,647 And I know you love me. 279 00:15:14,647 --> 00:15:20,085 I don't want to add you to my life to make my problems better, to make them okay. 280 00:15:20,653 --> 00:15:25,324 I need you to step into my life and make my life better. 281 00:15:25,424 --> 00:15:28,260 God, I have my dreams. I have my goals. 282 00:15:28,260 --> 00:15:29,595 I have my agenda. 283 00:15:29,595 --> 00:15:30,896 I have my desires. 284 00:15:30,896 --> 00:15:32,665 And I want to add you to them. 285 00:15:32,665 --> 00:15:36,302 So you'll help me accomplish my dreams, accomplish my goals, 286 00:15:36,402 --> 00:15:38,570 accomplish my desires. You understand? 287 00:15:47,346 --> 00:15:49,081 That this is this is the 288 00:15:49,081 --> 00:15:52,451 majority of our agenda. 289 00:15:54,453 --> 00:15:57,456 And coming to God. 290 00:15:57,823 --> 00:16:00,826 God, I have this plan for how I want my life to go, 291 00:16:01,560 --> 00:16:07,199 my business to go, my finances to go, how I want you to work in my life 292 00:16:07,199 --> 00:16:10,669 so I can get to the point of retiring so I can be comfortable. 293 00:16:11,203 --> 00:16:13,806 And I and I want to add you to all of these things, 294 00:16:13,806 --> 00:16:16,809 because I want you to make all these things come to fruition. 295 00:16:18,911 --> 00:16:21,914 And that's not a disciple. 296 00:16:22,348 --> 00:16:25,284 A disciple of Jesus says, 297 00:16:25,284 --> 00:16:28,287 I'm going to follow you and all of these 298 00:16:28,287 --> 00:16:31,290 other things I put on the chopping block, 299 00:16:32,391 --> 00:16:35,394 all of these other things. 300 00:16:35,494 --> 00:16:39,365 And if you want to do something different with them, I gladly leave them behind. 301 00:16:40,966 --> 00:16:42,601 I am your slave. 302 00:16:42,601 --> 00:16:44,269 You. I'm at your disposal. 303 00:16:44,269 --> 00:16:47,272 You do with me whatever you want. 304 00:16:47,439 --> 00:16:50,442 That's discipleship. 305 00:16:52,544 --> 00:16:55,547 You understand the difference. 306 00:16:57,249 --> 00:16:58,250 And when we look 307 00:16:58,250 --> 00:17:01,253 at the disciples of Scripture, 308 00:17:01,487 --> 00:17:04,490 it ought to stand in stark contrast. 309 00:17:08,660 --> 00:17:11,663 To many Christians. 310 00:17:17,069 --> 00:17:20,072 It's interesting to me when Jesus calls these guys, 311 00:17:20,873 --> 00:17:22,741 he called these guys 312 00:17:22,741 --> 00:17:25,778 who were already working and who were already industrious. 313 00:17:25,811 --> 00:17:28,781 He doesn't call the idle. 314 00:17:28,847 --> 00:17:31,850 He doesn't call the lazy. 315 00:17:33,085 --> 00:17:33,919 When Jesus, 316 00:17:33,919 --> 00:17:38,323 when God called Saul, Saul was out looking for his father's donkeys. 317 00:17:38,323 --> 00:17:41,527 When he called David, David was tending his father's sheep 318 00:17:41,527 --> 00:17:44,329 when he called the shepherds of the Christ Christmas story. 319 00:17:44,329 --> 00:17:48,634 They were guarding their flocks at night when he called Amos the prophet. 320 00:17:48,634 --> 00:17:50,335 He was busy farming. 321 00:17:50,335 --> 00:17:51,937 Whether it was Matthew or Moses. 322 00:17:51,937 --> 00:17:56,041 All through the pages of Scripture, God called those who are already working, 323 00:17:56,041 --> 00:17:59,044 who were already busy, who were already industrious, 324 00:18:00,813 --> 00:18:01,113 because 325 00:18:01,113 --> 00:18:04,083 God calls those who have the propensity 326 00:18:04,383 --> 00:18:07,820 and the character of work. Why? 327 00:18:08,220 --> 00:18:11,056 Because that's what discipleship is. 328 00:18:11,056 --> 00:18:13,392 Discipleship isn't just believing. 329 00:18:13,392 --> 00:18:16,395 Discipleship means doing. 330 00:18:19,098 --> 00:18:21,066 And if you want to add God to our lives 331 00:18:21,066 --> 00:18:24,903 so we can relax and he'll make life easier so we can retire and be happy. 332 00:18:25,070 --> 00:18:28,140 God says, you're barking up the wrong tree with the wrong person. 333 00:18:30,242 --> 00:18:33,212 I have a task and a job, and you will not be done 334 00:18:33,212 --> 00:18:36,181 until you die. 335 00:18:37,883 --> 00:18:40,419 I revolt against the idea of retirement. 336 00:18:40,419 --> 00:18:43,422 I'm sorry if some of you retire, but please hear me out 337 00:18:44,156 --> 00:18:46,692 of pure retirement, as we think about in 338 00:18:46,692 --> 00:18:49,695 our culture, is not a biblical concept. 339 00:18:50,095 --> 00:18:52,831 It's fine to retire from tasks. 340 00:18:52,831 --> 00:18:57,136 That's great, but you never retire from the call of God. 341 00:18:58,403 --> 00:19:01,406 You never retire from ministry. 342 00:19:02,174 --> 00:19:05,110 So God calls those who are industrious 343 00:19:05,110 --> 00:19:08,113 because disciples are industrious. 344 00:19:08,447 --> 00:19:11,450 Do you understand? 345 00:19:14,253 --> 00:19:14,553 Neither. 346 00:19:14,553 --> 00:19:17,556 You don't believe me or it's a little too much. 347 00:19:24,429 --> 00:19:25,564 In this next section, 348 00:19:25,564 --> 00:19:28,567 we're going to contrast disciples and crowds. 349 00:19:29,835 --> 00:19:32,838 So the disciples are those who are busy working. 350 00:19:33,338 --> 00:19:34,773 God calls them. 351 00:19:34,773 --> 00:19:36,608 They change their identity. 352 00:19:36,608 --> 00:19:38,177 They leave everything behind. 353 00:19:38,177 --> 00:19:39,645 They sacrifice it all. 354 00:19:39,645 --> 00:19:41,180 And they say, God, we are yours. 355 00:19:41,180 --> 00:19:41,513 You do it. 356 00:19:41,513 --> 00:19:44,349 This whatever we please, we are at your disposal. 357 00:19:44,349 --> 00:19:46,818 That's disciples. 358 00:19:46,818 --> 00:19:48,687 Look at verse 23. 359 00:19:48,687 --> 00:19:51,590 And he, Jesus, went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues 360 00:19:51,590 --> 00:19:53,725 and proclaiming the good the gospel of the kingdom 361 00:19:53,725 --> 00:19:56,461 and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. 362 00:19:56,461 --> 00:19:58,497 So his fame spread throughout all Syria. 363 00:19:58,497 --> 00:20:01,500 And they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases 364 00:20:01,500 --> 00:20:04,803 and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures and paralytic. 365 00:20:04,970 --> 00:20:06,038 And he healed them. 366 00:20:06,038 --> 00:20:09,341 And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, 367 00:20:09,474 --> 00:20:12,444 and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan. 368 00:20:14,179 --> 00:20:14,947 So Jesus 369 00:20:14,947 --> 00:20:19,451 goes into, as was typical of the time in their synagogues, proclaiming 370 00:20:19,451 --> 00:20:24,122 the gospel, preaching and teaching, and healing every disease and affliction, 371 00:20:25,290 --> 00:20:29,928 so that as that word spread people from all over the region, and it mentions 372 00:20:29,928 --> 00:20:33,432 this thing called the Decapolis, that's two Greek words deca and polis. 373 00:20:33,432 --> 00:20:36,702 Ten cities, this area of ten cities, ten gentile cities, 374 00:20:37,002 --> 00:20:41,039 they're coming from all over the area, up to 100 miles of traveling 375 00:20:41,773 --> 00:20:44,343 just to be around Jesus. Why? 376 00:20:44,343 --> 00:20:47,145 Because they're sick. They're possessed. 377 00:20:47,145 --> 00:20:48,614 They're they're ill. 378 00:20:48,614 --> 00:20:51,083 They need him to step in. 379 00:20:51,083 --> 00:20:54,086 They need him to heal them. 380 00:20:54,419 --> 00:20:56,588 And so they come. 381 00:20:56,588 --> 00:20:59,591 And by God's mercy and grace, he does. 382 00:21:00,292 --> 00:21:03,528 And when the Bible says that that he healed 383 00:21:03,528 --> 00:21:06,999 all the sicknesses, he's his exerting his authority 384 00:21:08,133 --> 00:21:11,069 over fallen humanity because of sin. 385 00:21:11,069 --> 00:21:14,106 And then when it says that he cast out demons, he's 386 00:21:14,106 --> 00:21:17,909 exerting his authority over all creation, physical and spiritual. 387 00:21:18,710 --> 00:21:22,748 So he's showing them I have complete authority over all creation, 388 00:21:23,515 --> 00:21:26,518 everything in heaven, on earth and under the earth. 389 00:21:26,652 --> 00:21:28,220 I have authority over it all. 390 00:21:28,220 --> 00:21:31,223 And these people who have great needs, 391 00:21:31,456 --> 00:21:34,893 they hear about this and they're like, we need some of that in our life. 392 00:21:35,193 --> 00:21:40,165 And they come to him and say, please, will you, please, will you step it, please? 393 00:21:40,165 --> 00:21:41,566 We intervene, please will you change? 394 00:21:41,566 --> 00:21:44,569 And by his grace, he does. 395 00:21:45,470 --> 00:21:48,473 But none of these are disciples. 396 00:21:49,808 --> 00:21:52,544 They're crowds. 397 00:21:52,544 --> 00:21:55,047 And I want us to think right now 398 00:21:55,047 --> 00:21:58,050 about the difference between the crowd and the disciple. 399 00:21:59,718 --> 00:22:04,289 The crowd realizes I have a need that I cannot solve. 400 00:22:04,823 --> 00:22:06,191 I can't meet my need. 401 00:22:06,191 --> 00:22:08,727 God, would you please. 402 00:22:08,727 --> 00:22:11,463 Would you please step into my world? 403 00:22:11,463 --> 00:22:14,066 And would you change that which I need? 404 00:22:14,066 --> 00:22:14,733 Change. 405 00:22:15,734 --> 00:22:17,769 That's the crowd. 406 00:22:17,769 --> 00:22:21,340 And by God's mercy and grace, sometimes he does. 407 00:22:22,374 --> 00:22:24,276 But that's the crowd. 408 00:22:24,276 --> 00:22:26,545 That's not the disciple. 409 00:22:26,545 --> 00:22:29,648 The disciple says, yes, God, I acknowledge that I have need, 410 00:22:30,449 --> 00:22:34,152 but my agenda is secondary to your kingdom. 411 00:22:35,187 --> 00:22:37,089 And so 412 00:22:37,089 --> 00:22:40,892 I invite you in to change my identity. 413 00:22:41,159 --> 00:22:45,530 I sacrifice my agenda, my plans, my desires. 414 00:22:45,630 --> 00:22:49,501 I even sacrifice you, meeting my needs for whatever you discern. 415 00:22:50,936 --> 00:22:52,938 That's what I'll submit to. 416 00:22:52,938 --> 00:22:55,941 Do you see the difference between the crowd and the disciple? 417 00:22:56,975 --> 00:23:00,345 And so you and I have a beautiful future here right now to decide 418 00:23:01,680 --> 00:23:03,382 and to realize. 419 00:23:03,382 --> 00:23:06,251 What have I been? 420 00:23:06,251 --> 00:23:07,586 Have I been part of the crowd? 421 00:23:07,586 --> 00:23:10,589 Or am I truly a disciple? 422 00:23:13,959 --> 00:23:14,526 Jesus 423 00:23:14,526 --> 00:23:17,529 didn't invite people to be a part of the crowd. 424 00:23:17,796 --> 00:23:18,997 They became part of the crowd 425 00:23:18,997 --> 00:23:21,600 because he knew they had a need that only he can meet, 426 00:23:21,600 --> 00:23:23,034 and they wanted him to meet their need. 427 00:23:24,603 --> 00:23:27,572 What he invited people into was a disciple. 428 00:23:29,941 --> 00:23:32,911 And they're vastly different. 429 00:23:33,578 --> 00:23:36,581 Later, the crowd would fall away. 430 00:23:38,717 --> 00:23:41,720 Because they get too difficult. 431 00:23:43,622 --> 00:23:46,625 The disciples remain. 432 00:23:48,059 --> 00:23:51,062 And to this point of discipleship, 433 00:23:51,730 --> 00:23:54,032 I want to talk about what it means 434 00:23:54,032 --> 00:23:57,035 to be a disciple. 435 00:23:57,836 --> 00:24:00,572 The call to be a disciple. 436 00:24:00,572 --> 00:24:03,575 We're going to jump over to Matthew 633. 437 00:24:04,142 --> 00:24:05,744 Okay, there's a difference 438 00:24:05,744 --> 00:24:09,080 between being a part of the crowd and being a disciple and a disciple. 439 00:24:09,648 --> 00:24:11,683 Jesus speaks about this in Matthew 630. 440 00:24:11,683 --> 00:24:12,751 Most of you know this verse. 441 00:24:12,751 --> 00:24:15,153 You might not know where it lives, but you know the verse. 442 00:24:15,153 --> 00:24:17,389 Matthew 633 443 00:24:17,389 --> 00:24:19,825 but seek first 444 00:24:19,825 --> 00:24:21,793 the kingdom of God and his righteousness, 445 00:24:21,793 --> 00:24:24,796 and all these things will be added to you. 446 00:24:25,831 --> 00:24:28,700 There's a difference between being a part of the crowd and being a disciple. 447 00:24:30,402 --> 00:24:33,405 And what Jesus says to disciples, 448 00:24:33,939 --> 00:24:36,341 seek first what 449 00:24:36,341 --> 00:24:39,244 you have. 450 00:24:39,244 --> 00:24:40,679 Okay, well, 451 00:24:40,679 --> 00:24:44,916 why is it that we stop after we see the kingdom of God? 452 00:24:44,916 --> 00:24:47,919 That's not what Jesus said. 453 00:24:49,154 --> 00:24:51,790 The kingdom of God 454 00:24:51,790 --> 00:24:54,793 and his righteousness. 455 00:24:55,327 --> 00:24:58,029 That's what Jesus said. 456 00:24:58,029 --> 00:24:59,698 And when he says, seek first. 457 00:24:59,698 --> 00:25:03,668 That word first is a Greek word, Protoss, and it means literally not first 458 00:25:03,668 --> 00:25:06,671 in a series of events, not first and then second and third. 459 00:25:06,671 --> 00:25:09,074 It means priority, 460 00:25:09,074 --> 00:25:11,910 but seek as the only priority 461 00:25:11,910 --> 00:25:14,913 the kingdom of God and his righteousness. 462 00:25:16,047 --> 00:25:19,050 I'm I'm noticing, 463 00:25:20,652 --> 00:25:21,753 that we don't talk about 464 00:25:21,753 --> 00:25:24,756 righteousness very much. 465 00:25:25,323 --> 00:25:27,526 And even church people don't. 466 00:25:27,526 --> 00:25:30,529 We talk about being loving 467 00:25:30,595 --> 00:25:33,598 and kind and merciful and gracious. 468 00:25:34,833 --> 00:25:37,802 We don't talk about being righteous. 469 00:25:38,737 --> 00:25:40,772 There are many of us that matter. 470 00:25:40,772 --> 00:25:41,806 How many? 471 00:25:41,806 --> 00:25:43,108 How many of us, 472 00:25:43,108 --> 00:25:46,111 you know, woke up this morning thought, Lord, I just I just 473 00:25:46,111 --> 00:25:47,746 would you just increase my righteousness? 474 00:25:50,882 --> 00:25:52,584 Even when I ask what Jesus said, 475 00:25:52,584 --> 00:25:55,587 we stop, seek first kingdom of God. 476 00:25:56,454 --> 00:25:59,791 There's something about us that just pushes back on this whole idea 477 00:26:00,258 --> 00:26:03,261 of righteous living. 478 00:26:03,695 --> 00:26:06,631 Why is that? 479 00:26:06,631 --> 00:26:09,601 What Jesus said here is that for the disciple, 480 00:26:10,602 --> 00:26:13,605 the priority for the disciple 481 00:26:13,605 --> 00:26:16,975 is to be a righteous man is to be a righteous woman. 482 00:26:17,309 --> 00:26:20,312 The priority for the disciple is a life 483 00:26:20,312 --> 00:26:23,281 of righteousness. 484 00:26:24,382 --> 00:26:26,184 You follow, 485 00:26:26,184 --> 00:26:29,187 you think you do. 486 00:26:30,221 --> 00:26:33,224 Go back a chapter to chapter five. 487 00:26:34,125 --> 00:26:37,128 This talk about righteousness. 488 00:26:37,362 --> 00:26:38,663 Now just listen to this 489 00:26:38,663 --> 00:26:41,666 without any prejudging of where it's going. 490 00:26:43,034 --> 00:26:45,870 Matthew chapter five, verse 20 491 00:26:45,870 --> 00:26:47,939 Jesus says, for I tell you, 492 00:26:47,939 --> 00:26:51,876 unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, 493 00:26:52,110 --> 00:26:55,113 you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 494 00:27:01,987 --> 00:27:05,223 Oh, disciple, your my primary 495 00:27:06,157 --> 00:27:09,160 agenda item 496 00:27:09,260 --> 00:27:12,263 is to be righteous 497 00:27:12,864 --> 00:27:15,667 and dear friend, unless our righteousness 498 00:27:15,667 --> 00:27:19,471 exceeds that of the Pharisees, we will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 499 00:27:19,471 --> 00:27:22,173 That's what Jesus said. 500 00:27:22,173 --> 00:27:25,176 That is in unless a 501 00:27:27,012 --> 00:27:28,680 B doesn't happen. 502 00:27:28,680 --> 00:27:31,683 That's what Jesus said. 503 00:27:31,983 --> 00:27:34,986 Unless our righteousness exceeds that 504 00:27:36,287 --> 00:27:39,290 of the righteous people. Now, 505 00:27:39,658 --> 00:27:42,894 how many of you heard about how it's now, 506 00:27:43,361 --> 00:27:47,432 how the bad rap that Pharisees get in the Bible anyway? 507 00:27:48,033 --> 00:27:50,969 I mean, Jesus is always on them, right? 508 00:27:50,969 --> 00:27:53,972 And so, I mean, how righteous can they really be? 509 00:27:54,406 --> 00:27:57,308 Right? 510 00:27:57,308 --> 00:27:58,143 Our problem is 511 00:27:58,143 --> 00:28:01,112 we don't understand who the Pharisees were. 512 00:28:01,312 --> 00:28:02,414 So just keep this in mind. 513 00:28:02,414 --> 00:28:03,948 Just unless your righteousness 514 00:28:03,948 --> 00:28:06,951 exceeds the Pharisees, you'll never enter the kingdom of God. 515 00:28:07,085 --> 00:28:10,188 It's your primary and sole 516 00:28:10,922 --> 00:28:14,559 agenda item is to be a righteous man and a righteous woman 517 00:28:15,126 --> 00:28:17,929 as a disciple, here's the Pharisees, the Pharisees. 518 00:28:17,929 --> 00:28:19,931 You will not read about the Pharisees in the Old Testament 519 00:28:19,931 --> 00:28:21,533 because they didn't exist in the Old Testament. 520 00:28:22,834 --> 00:28:23,435 After the 521 00:28:23,435 --> 00:28:26,438 Babylonian captivity, people come back. 522 00:28:27,338 --> 00:28:30,508 God's people have been so intermixed 523 00:28:30,975 --> 00:28:34,012 with the people of Babylon, with the with with the, the other, 524 00:28:35,480 --> 00:28:39,617 gentile groups had kind of infiltrated the land that you really couldn't tell 525 00:28:40,218 --> 00:28:42,687 the Hebrews, the Israelites, 526 00:28:42,687 --> 00:28:45,857 you couldn't tell them as any different from the rest of the culture around them. 527 00:28:45,857 --> 00:28:48,660 They looked exactly the same. They acted the same. They taught the same. 528 00:28:48,660 --> 00:28:49,594 You can look any different. 529 00:28:49,594 --> 00:28:51,963 They didn't behave any different. 530 00:28:51,963 --> 00:28:55,033 And so this group of people in the second century BC says, 531 00:28:55,133 --> 00:28:58,136 we have to call our people back 532 00:28:59,337 --> 00:29:00,672 to righteous living. 533 00:29:00,672 --> 00:29:03,742 We gotta call our people back to the study of Scripture. 534 00:29:03,742 --> 00:29:07,112 We gotta call our people back to the worship of God Almighty. 535 00:29:07,112 --> 00:29:10,248 We gotta call our people back to pure living. 536 00:29:10,982 --> 00:29:14,519 A life of that is pure before God and pure before people. 537 00:29:14,686 --> 00:29:16,454 We gotta call people back. 538 00:29:17,489 --> 00:29:20,492 We gotta call people back to this. 539 00:29:20,692 --> 00:29:22,761 And so this group was created. 540 00:29:22,761 --> 00:29:24,829 They called the Pharisees. 541 00:29:24,829 --> 00:29:27,999 The Pharisees means literally separated. Once 542 00:29:29,100 --> 00:29:31,169 they were the separated ones, they're like, look, 543 00:29:31,169 --> 00:29:33,972 we're looking just like the rest of the culture. 544 00:29:33,972 --> 00:29:35,607 There's no difference between us. 545 00:29:35,607 --> 00:29:37,142 Let's get back to Scripture. 546 00:29:37,142 --> 00:29:38,610 Let's get back to worship. 547 00:29:38,610 --> 00:29:40,211 Let's get back to devotion. 548 00:29:40,211 --> 00:29:43,181 That's not a bad scenario, right? 549 00:29:43,181 --> 00:29:46,184 When we say the same thing about us today, 550 00:29:46,918 --> 00:29:49,921 Yes, this is who the Pharisees were. 551 00:29:50,755 --> 00:29:53,758 Such great, impure motives. 552 00:29:55,560 --> 00:29:56,661 A call to return 553 00:29:56,661 --> 00:29:59,664 to God and return to Scripture. 554 00:29:59,664 --> 00:30:02,667 So how righteous were they? 555 00:30:03,001 --> 00:30:05,537 Unless our righteousness exceeds that of Pharisees, 556 00:30:05,537 --> 00:30:06,905 we will never enter the kingdom of God. 557 00:30:06,905 --> 00:30:09,374 Let's talk about how righteous they were. 558 00:30:09,374 --> 00:30:13,578 They were a group of people that diligently studied, 559 00:30:13,912 --> 00:30:17,015 memorized, and read Scripture. 560 00:30:19,517 --> 00:30:21,419 Jesus will say of them, 561 00:30:21,419 --> 00:30:24,923 you study the scriptures because in them you think you have eternal life. 562 00:30:25,590 --> 00:30:28,593 So they studied diligently the Word of God. 563 00:30:29,260 --> 00:30:32,263 They read it, they memorized it. 564 00:30:32,263 --> 00:30:35,266 It was their focus. 565 00:30:37,402 --> 00:30:40,405 Unless your righteousness exceeds theirs. 566 00:30:41,940 --> 00:30:44,943 It's last verse you memorized. 567 00:30:46,444 --> 00:30:48,746 But what's the last in-depth study 568 00:30:48,746 --> 00:30:51,749 you've done on your own? 569 00:30:52,817 --> 00:30:55,820 The righteousness the Pharisees. 570 00:30:55,987 --> 00:30:57,322 Let's talk about. They're righteous. 571 00:30:57,322 --> 00:30:57,989 They were. 572 00:30:57,989 --> 00:31:00,992 They were a group of people that had a very disciplined 573 00:31:01,426 --> 00:31:04,429 and orderly prayer life 574 00:31:04,762 --> 00:31:07,165 consistently, regularly, 575 00:31:07,165 --> 00:31:10,668 and practiced deep and abiding spiritual disciplines. 576 00:31:11,769 --> 00:31:15,273 Jesus talks about in Matthew six said, you all love to pray. 577 00:31:16,207 --> 00:31:19,444 Good for you, but you do it in a way that you get attention to yourself like. 578 00:31:19,444 --> 00:31:22,981 But, but you have that desire to pray 579 00:31:24,349 --> 00:31:25,917 this incredibly deep 580 00:31:25,917 --> 00:31:28,920 spiritual discipline life. 581 00:31:30,154 --> 00:31:33,157 Pretty righteous right? 582 00:31:33,825 --> 00:31:36,828 Unless your righteous exceeds that of them. 583 00:31:39,631 --> 00:31:42,600 How are we doing? 584 00:31:44,102 --> 00:31:45,303 The righteousness. 585 00:31:45,303 --> 00:31:49,407 They were men who had an incredible evangelistic zeal, 586 00:31:50,141 --> 00:31:52,977 incredible evangelistic zeal. 587 00:31:52,977 --> 00:31:54,746 We talk about reaching a huddle all the time. 588 00:31:54,746 --> 00:31:57,715 They actually did. 589 00:31:57,715 --> 00:31:59,550 Matthew 2315 590 00:31:59,550 --> 00:32:02,520 Jesus says, you will seal the seas 591 00:32:02,787 --> 00:32:05,790 to make one convert. 592 00:32:09,060 --> 00:32:11,763 How's your evangelistic zeal 593 00:32:11,763 --> 00:32:14,732 compared to theirs? 594 00:32:14,866 --> 00:32:17,869 Whose last personality Jesus. 595 00:32:19,270 --> 00:32:20,271 You want to leave your home 596 00:32:20,271 --> 00:32:23,274 to go tell people about Christ? 597 00:32:26,311 --> 00:32:29,280 See, the Pharisees get a bad rap, 598 00:32:29,714 --> 00:32:32,717 but apparently they're pretty righteous. 599 00:32:34,352 --> 00:32:36,821 And Jesus says, unless your righteousness exceeds theirs, 600 00:32:36,821 --> 00:32:39,824 you don't get into heaven. 601 00:32:46,130 --> 00:32:49,133 How righteous were these people? 602 00:32:49,801 --> 00:32:50,802 Well, they were so righteous 603 00:32:50,802 --> 00:32:56,107 they tithed 10% off the top of everything. 604 00:32:57,575 --> 00:33:01,713 So righteous were they that if they walked outside their house 605 00:33:01,713 --> 00:33:05,917 and found a mint leaf, a mint plant, they would pick the plant 606 00:33:05,917 --> 00:33:09,554 and take a 10th of that mint and give it to the offering, 607 00:33:09,554 --> 00:33:10,955 because that was the Old Testament command. 608 00:33:13,658 --> 00:33:15,860 If they found a dollar on the street, 609 00:33:15,860 --> 00:33:19,230 they would go cash in ten dimes and give one dime to the offering. 610 00:33:20,631 --> 00:33:22,500 They were so righteous at 10th 611 00:33:22,500 --> 00:33:25,503 or right off the top of everything. 612 00:33:28,306 --> 00:33:29,273 Unless your righteousness 613 00:33:29,273 --> 00:33:32,276 exceeds that of them. 614 00:33:36,781 --> 00:33:39,784 So how are you doing, disciple? 615 00:33:43,721 --> 00:33:44,522 Does your righteousness 616 00:33:44,522 --> 00:33:47,525 exceeds that of the Pharisees? 617 00:33:50,628 --> 00:33:51,596 And Jesus said, 618 00:33:51,596 --> 00:33:54,565 this is the primary agenda 619 00:33:54,565 --> 00:33:57,568 item, not for the crowd 620 00:33:58,002 --> 00:34:01,005 before the disciple. 621 00:34:01,339 --> 00:34:03,241 The righteousness of God 622 00:34:03,241 --> 00:34:06,210 that exceeds that of the Pharisees. 623 00:34:10,314 --> 00:34:13,317 How are you and I doing? 624 00:34:13,518 --> 00:34:16,521 Do we get a pass? 625 00:34:19,490 --> 00:34:20,491 Do you want me to relieve 626 00:34:20,491 --> 00:34:23,461 the pressure for you? 627 00:34:25,463 --> 00:34:28,332 Yeah. 628 00:34:28,332 --> 00:34:30,701 I can't, 629 00:34:30,701 --> 00:34:33,704 there should be some pressure. 630 00:34:34,772 --> 00:34:36,874 But let me let me put it. 631 00:34:36,874 --> 00:34:39,877 Let me introduce the gospel. 632 00:34:43,247 --> 00:34:46,184 Our righteousness, 633 00:34:46,184 --> 00:34:49,821 in other words, are works of righteousness cannot surpass theirs. 634 00:34:52,590 --> 00:34:52,957 And what 635 00:34:52,957 --> 00:34:55,960 Jesus says, it has to surpass it in kind, 636 00:34:56,327 --> 00:34:59,330 not in degree. 637 00:35:00,298 --> 00:35:02,500 The kind of righteousness 638 00:35:02,500 --> 00:35:05,503 has to surpass that of the Pharisees, 639 00:35:05,670 --> 00:35:09,240 because the Pharisees were doing these acts of righteousness 640 00:35:09,507 --> 00:35:12,510 as their way of being made right with God. 641 00:35:14,112 --> 00:35:17,115 Disciples do these acts of righteousness 642 00:35:17,315 --> 00:35:20,318 in response to being made right with God. 643 00:35:22,887 --> 00:35:24,255 In other words, Philippians three. 644 00:35:24,255 --> 00:35:26,557 The apostle Paul says this 645 00:35:26,557 --> 00:35:30,328 for his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish 646 00:35:30,561 --> 00:35:34,065 in order that I'm a gain Christ and be found in him here it is 647 00:35:34,232 --> 00:35:37,835 not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law. 648 00:35:38,202 --> 00:35:41,205 That's where the Pharisees made the mistake. 649 00:35:41,472 --> 00:35:44,909 They thought that by their righteousness they were made right with God. 650 00:35:45,810 --> 00:35:47,645 And Paul says, my righteousness. 651 00:35:47,645 --> 00:35:52,250 It doesn't come from the law, but my righteousness comes through faith 652 00:35:52,250 --> 00:35:53,251 in Christ. 653 00:35:53,251 --> 00:35:56,053 The righteousness from God that depends on faith. 654 00:35:57,421 --> 00:36:00,992 So my righteousness does exceed that of the Pharisees, 655 00:36:01,125 --> 00:36:04,128 not in degree, but in kind, 656 00:36:05,429 --> 00:36:08,766 because it's through faith in what Jesus did on the cross that I am 657 00:36:08,766 --> 00:36:13,571 made right with God, not that I have earned rightness with him. 658 00:36:13,571 --> 00:36:16,574 Do you understand that? 659 00:36:17,942 --> 00:36:19,510 Now I hope 660 00:36:19,510 --> 00:36:22,513 that relieves the pressure a little bit. 661 00:36:22,680 --> 00:36:25,783 But let me push the pressure on you again, because 662 00:36:26,951 --> 00:36:29,954 we cannot separate 663 00:36:30,388 --> 00:36:33,391 the righteousness of God 664 00:36:33,491 --> 00:36:35,159 from being right with him 665 00:36:35,159 --> 00:36:38,429 and showing that right the rightness in our lifestyle. 666 00:36:38,429 --> 00:36:39,497 You can't separate the two. 667 00:36:39,497 --> 00:36:42,266 James 218 668 00:36:42,266 --> 00:36:45,136 someone will say, you have faith. 669 00:36:45,136 --> 00:36:47,972 I have works fine. 670 00:36:47,972 --> 00:36:52,743 Show me your faith apart from your works, and I'll show you my faith by my works. 671 00:36:52,944 --> 00:36:55,947 See, so many of us want 672 00:36:55,980 --> 00:36:58,115 want an excuse to not. 673 00:37:01,219 --> 00:37:01,652 And we 674 00:37:01,652 --> 00:37:05,756 gravitate to the truth that I am made right by God, by faith. 675 00:37:05,790 --> 00:37:08,492 Absolutely. And be. And here's the here's our problem. 676 00:37:08,492 --> 00:37:12,063 Because we know that we're made right by God, by faith. 677 00:37:12,263 --> 00:37:15,266 Now, I have an excuse to not. 678 00:37:17,235 --> 00:37:20,638 I don't have to study my Bible every day and memorize scripture, 679 00:37:20,638 --> 00:37:22,740 because I'm already made right with God by faith. 680 00:37:22,740 --> 00:37:26,010 I don't have to evangelize and tell people in my head about Christ, 681 00:37:26,110 --> 00:37:28,412 because I'm already made right by God, by faith. 682 00:37:28,412 --> 00:37:32,216 I don't have to tithe because I'm already made right by God, by faith. 683 00:37:32,383 --> 00:37:36,854 And we use the truth of being made right by God, by faith and his excuse 684 00:37:36,954 --> 00:37:39,957 to be unrighteous in our living. 685 00:37:41,359 --> 00:37:43,194 And James says, you can't do that. 686 00:37:46,097 --> 00:37:48,532 You can't separate these two. 687 00:37:48,532 --> 00:37:50,901 Yes, we're made right by God, by faith, 688 00:37:50,901 --> 00:37:54,405 and we're called to righteous living. Now, 689 00:37:55,940 --> 00:37:57,675 let me put this, James two way 690 00:37:57,675 --> 00:38:01,178 in, in, in, in clear, understanding. 691 00:38:01,178 --> 00:38:04,181 Let me let me just rework the words a little bit. 692 00:38:04,849 --> 00:38:07,418 Someone will say, 693 00:38:07,418 --> 00:38:08,185 you have faith. 694 00:38:08,185 --> 00:38:10,321 I have works fine. 695 00:38:10,321 --> 00:38:13,324 Show me your faith by not tithing, 696 00:38:14,058 --> 00:38:17,061 and I'll show you my faith by tithing. 697 00:38:19,463 --> 00:38:21,499 Do you understand? 698 00:38:21,499 --> 00:38:24,502 How can you prove your faith by not doing? 699 00:38:27,071 --> 00:38:27,605 It's like saying. 700 00:38:27,605 --> 00:38:30,608 I'll show you how fast I am by not running. 701 00:38:31,442 --> 00:38:34,412 Does that make any sense? 702 00:38:34,712 --> 00:38:37,682 Yet that's what we do with faith. 703 00:38:38,282 --> 00:38:40,384 And Jesus says righteousness 704 00:38:40,384 --> 00:38:43,387 is the primary agenda for the disciple. 705 00:38:44,221 --> 00:38:45,990 Not so. You'll be right with God. 706 00:38:45,990 --> 00:38:48,926 You're made right with God, but because you're made right with God. 707 00:38:48,926 --> 00:38:51,562 Now your agenda is the righteousness of God. 708 00:38:54,365 --> 00:38:57,368 That's discipleship. 709 00:39:03,240 --> 00:39:03,641 Second 710 00:39:03,641 --> 00:39:06,811 Corinthians 521 I didn't put it up here, but I want you to write it down. 711 00:39:06,811 --> 00:39:08,379 I want you to memorize this. 712 00:39:08,379 --> 00:39:13,117 So Corinthians 521 so says he who knew no sin became sin for us, 713 00:39:13,918 --> 00:39:17,488 so that we might become the righteousness of God. 714 00:39:19,056 --> 00:39:22,059 So Jesus took all of my sin 715 00:39:22,593 --> 00:39:25,429 and imputed to me all of his righteousness. 716 00:39:25,429 --> 00:39:27,932 So I am right with God, not because of what I've done, 717 00:39:27,932 --> 00:39:30,935 but because of the righteousness that's been imputed to me. 718 00:39:32,536 --> 00:39:36,607 I'm made righteous before God by faith in Jesus, and it's work on the cross. 719 00:39:36,774 --> 00:39:41,612 So now, because I've been made righteous, now I choose get this. 720 00:39:41,612 --> 00:39:44,615 Now I choose to live righteously. 721 00:39:47,084 --> 00:39:50,087 It's not an excuse 722 00:39:50,187 --> 00:39:53,190 to not live righteously. 723 00:39:53,324 --> 00:39:55,659 Now that's my primary agenda. 724 00:39:55,659 --> 00:39:59,497 We cannot accept the righteousness of Christ and live righteously. 725 00:40:00,464 --> 00:40:03,467 Can't do it. 726 00:40:03,834 --> 00:40:07,037 See, my dear friends, faith that doesn't obey shows 727 00:40:07,037 --> 00:40:10,040 that it was a faith that never believed. 728 00:40:12,877 --> 00:40:13,577 And faith 729 00:40:13,577 --> 00:40:16,580 that won't follow is a faith that will not last. 730 00:40:20,184 --> 00:40:21,185 Please understand 731 00:40:21,185 --> 00:40:25,890 that obedience and righteousness is not the proof of salvation, or is not the. 732 00:40:26,123 --> 00:40:28,592 It is not the price of salvation. 733 00:40:28,592 --> 00:40:31,562 It's the proof of it. 734 00:40:32,463 --> 00:40:34,932 And what Jesus is going to do in these next three chapters, 735 00:40:34,932 --> 00:40:39,003 chapter five, six and seven, is give us a model of the kingdom 736 00:40:39,003 --> 00:40:43,307 of of a life lived in the kingdom, and it will be unattainable. 737 00:40:44,341 --> 00:40:47,578 Everything that he says in Matthew five six and seven, like there's no way 738 00:40:48,512 --> 00:40:51,515 we can't live up to this. 739 00:40:51,749 --> 00:40:53,851 It's a great standard. 740 00:40:53,851 --> 00:40:56,687 It's the high watermark, 741 00:40:56,687 --> 00:40:58,656 but we're going to fall far short. 742 00:41:00,624 --> 00:41:03,627 We just can't live up to it. 743 00:41:04,628 --> 00:41:05,763 And in response 744 00:41:05,763 --> 00:41:09,533 to what we're called to and the realize realization 745 00:41:09,533 --> 00:41:12,870 of what we're capable of, we say, God, I can't, 746 00:41:13,871 --> 00:41:16,140 I can't, 747 00:41:16,140 --> 00:41:18,309 and so do for me what I can't do for myself. 748 00:41:18,309 --> 00:41:21,645 I accept the work of Jesus on the cross, 749 00:41:23,214 --> 00:41:24,849 and I, by faith, 750 00:41:24,849 --> 00:41:27,852 I stand before you declared righteous. 751 00:41:28,686 --> 00:41:31,589 And because of that grace, 752 00:41:31,589 --> 00:41:34,592 I will spend the rest of my life 753 00:41:35,693 --> 00:41:38,696 sacrificing my agenda for your kingdom 754 00:41:39,263 --> 00:41:43,067 and living a lifestyle of righteousness. 755 00:41:46,203 --> 00:41:49,106 I will study scripture and memorize it, 756 00:41:49,106 --> 00:41:51,976 and I will evangelize those around me who don't know Jesus. 757 00:41:51,976 --> 00:41:54,979 And I will tithe, 758 00:41:55,112 --> 00:41:56,981 and I will practice spiritual discernment 759 00:41:56,981 --> 00:42:00,751 not so that I'll be right with you, but because you've declared me right with you. 760 00:42:02,253 --> 00:42:05,222 And this is my response as a disciple. 761 00:42:06,190 --> 00:42:07,691 You understand? 762 00:42:07,691 --> 00:42:10,027 To understand. 763 00:42:10,027 --> 00:42:13,330 And so, dear friends, we get to choose now, crowd 764 00:42:14,398 --> 00:42:17,401 or disciple. 765 00:42:21,572 --> 00:42:22,740 I invite you to pray with me, father. 766 00:42:22,740 --> 00:42:25,743 Thank you. 767 00:42:26,343 --> 00:42:28,979 Thank you. 768 00:42:28,979 --> 00:42:31,815 The standard you have is 769 00:42:31,815 --> 00:42:34,818 is unattainable for us in ourselves. God. 770 00:42:35,653 --> 00:42:38,155 And I thank you that we don't have to try to get to 771 00:42:38,155 --> 00:42:41,392 you based on our own ability and behavior in obedience. 772 00:42:41,392 --> 00:42:44,395 Thank you. You knew we couldn't. 773 00:42:45,029 --> 00:42:47,998 So, father, I thank you that in the midst of that sin, 774 00:42:47,998 --> 00:42:51,001 you loved us so much that you sent your son. 775 00:42:52,636 --> 00:42:53,737 To be our way. 776 00:42:53,737 --> 00:42:56,740 To be made right with you. 777 00:42:58,609 --> 00:43:01,545 Friends, if you've never given your life to Jesus yet, if you've tried 778 00:43:01,545 --> 00:43:04,682 to be righteous of your own doing and you realize you just can't, 779 00:43:05,783 --> 00:43:08,786 would you just sacrifice that right now 780 00:43:09,053 --> 00:43:12,056 and come to God based on his terms, not yours? 781 00:43:12,990 --> 00:43:15,859 I invite you in this moment to say, God, I'm sorry for my sin. 782 00:43:15,859 --> 00:43:17,461 I can't be good enough. 783 00:43:17,461 --> 00:43:20,431 I've tried. I just keep failing. 784 00:43:21,031 --> 00:43:22,566 Jesus, I accept what you did 785 00:43:22,566 --> 00:43:25,569 on the cross to make me right. 786 00:43:25,703 --> 00:43:27,838 I accept your death for me. 787 00:43:27,838 --> 00:43:30,674 I believe in your resurrection 788 00:43:30,674 --> 00:43:33,677 and I give myself to you. 789 00:43:35,779 --> 00:43:38,515 Friends, if you've prayed that prayer, would you go a step further? 790 00:43:38,515 --> 00:43:41,385 Maybe this morning. 791 00:43:41,385 --> 00:43:45,022 And say, God, God, because you've made me right with you through your son. 792 00:43:46,023 --> 00:43:49,026 I want to live a righteous life 793 00:43:50,194 --> 00:43:53,731 not because I have to, but because you've done so much for me. 794 00:43:54,932 --> 00:43:57,935 It's my natural response. 795 00:44:00,170 --> 00:44:03,841 Would you give me a desire to live righteously 796 00:44:05,042 --> 00:44:08,012 as an expression of my love for you? 797 00:44:12,082 --> 00:44:13,350 Thank you for your mercy. 798 00:44:13,350 --> 00:44:14,752 Thank you for your grace. 799 00:44:14,752 --> 00:44:17,655 When I'm unrighteous, 800 00:44:17,655 --> 00:44:19,523 that you've given me your righteousness. 801 00:44:19,523 --> 00:44:22,526 But in response to that, father, 802 00:44:23,193 --> 00:44:26,030 oh, God. 803 00:44:26,030 --> 00:44:29,033 Would you increase my desire 804 00:44:29,466 --> 00:44:32,469 to live righteously? 805 00:44:34,972 --> 00:44:37,975 Your agenda above mine. 806 00:44:41,211 --> 00:44:42,112 You must increase. 807 00:44:42,112 --> 00:44:45,115 I must decrease. 808 00:44:47,685 --> 00:44:50,187 Father, thank you for your love. 809 00:44:50,187 --> 00:44:52,322 Help us to love you more. 810 00:44:52,322 --> 00:44:52,990 In your name I pray. 811 00:44:52,990 --> 00:44:55,292 Amen. 812 00:44:55,292 --> 00:44:57,227 I love you. 813 00:44:57,227 --> 00:44:57,995 Good job. 814 00:44:57,995 --> 00:45:00,998 Hang in with me through that one. 815 00:45:01,231 --> 00:45:02,700 This week. 816 00:45:02,700 --> 00:45:05,536 Read Matthew five. 817 00:45:05,536 --> 00:45:06,537 There's enough there. 818 00:45:06,537 --> 00:45:08,972 You could just stay in Matthew five this whole week. 819 00:45:08,972 --> 00:45:11,975 It's lofty. 820 00:45:12,776 --> 00:45:15,779 It's difficult. 821 00:45:16,113 --> 00:45:19,083 And we'll try to unpack some of it next week. 822 00:45:19,883 --> 00:45:24,988 Deal I love you if you have people in your world 823 00:45:24,988 --> 00:45:28,025 in your huddle that don't have a church home, invite them next week. 824 00:45:28,025 --> 00:45:29,359 You understand that? 825 00:45:29,359 --> 00:45:31,562 It's pretty clear you understand that. 826 00:45:33,330 --> 00:45:34,932 Yes. Okay, listen, I'm not 827 00:45:34,932 --> 00:45:37,935 afraid to start this all over again. 828 00:45:39,236 --> 00:45:39,737 Let's sing.