WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:28.000 Father, we thank you for this morning. We thank you for this day where we can come together in worship, where we can do that safely, where we can meet together with our brothers and sisters in Christ. And we thank you that your hand is upon us. We pray, Holy Spirit, that you would be our guide this morning as to what we say and to what we hear and what we learn. I pray, Father, that you would open our ears and eyes to you. 2 00:00:28.000 --> 00:00:33.000 And I pray, Father, that you would be glorified through all that we do here this day. 3 00:00:33.000 --> 00:00:35.000 In Jesus name we pray. 4 00:00:35.000 --> 00:00:40.000 Amen. 5 00:00:40.000 --> 00:00:46.000 As has been alluded to this morning, we are following on through our study in the book of Matthew. 6 00:00:46.000 --> 00:00:52.000 And today we will begin by looking at the two sides of God. 7 00:00:52.000 --> 00:00:56.000 Both sides, if you like, of the one coin. 8 00:00:56.000 --> 00:01:03.000 Firstly, the almighty power and authority of God over creation and nature. 9 00:01:03.000 --> 00:01:17.000 And secondly, the servant hearted, faithful, patient love of Christ for his people. 10 00:01:17.000 --> 00:01:20.000 And that is where we will spend most of our time this morning. 11 00:01:20.000 --> 00:01:26.000 So we begin in Genesis with the incredible creation story. 12 00:01:26.000 --> 00:01:37.000 The power of God, simply speaking. And a dry land is raised up and vast oceans are given their boundaries. 13 00:01:37.000 --> 00:01:41.000 The sun, moon and stars are put in place. 14 00:01:41.000 --> 00:01:57.000 And the pinnacle of his creation, mankind making them, says Genesis 1:27 in his own image, in the image of God, he created them. Male and female, he created them. 15 00:01:57.000 --> 00:02:07.000 God's authority is seen again in chapters seven and eight in the story of Noah and the Flood, God covering the whole earth with his waters. 16 00:02:07.000 --> 00:02:21.000 And then around 3,000 years later, God, God's only and innocent son, who has been put on a cross, is raised back to life again by the power of the Father. 17 00:02:21.000 --> 00:02:33.000 Again in John 11 we read Jesus himself raised Lazarus from the dead. And in Mark with his disciples, in a boat, in a violent storm. 18 00:02:33.000 --> 00:02:40.000 And he rebukes the wind and said to the waves, quiet, be still. 19 00:02:40.000 --> 00:02:46.000 And the wind died down and it was completely calm. 20 00:02:46.000 --> 00:02:59.000 These events demonstrate the authority and the power of our incredible and holy God. 21 00:02:59.000 --> 00:03:09.000 But this morning we will take a journey through a passage that describes our Lord and Saviour as God's chosen servant. 22 00:03:09.000 --> 00:03:20.000 Our reading reveals the solid, deeply grounded love and nature of God through Jesus Christ. 23 00:03:20.000 --> 00:03:33.000 I would like to share with you this poem that I found during the week. It's by James Allen Francis and it gives us a great insight into Jesus and his life and what he was. 24 00:03:33.000 --> 00:03:39.000 You may have heard it before. It's called One Solitary Life. 25 00:03:39.000 --> 00:03:46.000 Here is a man who was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. 26 00:03:46.000 --> 00:03:48.000 He grew up in another village. 27 00:03:48.000 --> 00:03:53.000 He worked in a carpenter shop until he was 30. 28 00:03:53.000 --> 00:03:57.000 Then for three years he was an itinerant pastor. 29 00:03:57.000 --> 00:03:59.000 He never owned a home. 30 00:03:59.000 --> 00:04:04.000 He never wrote a book. He never held an office. 31 00:04:04.000 --> 00:04:06.000 He never had a family. 32 00:04:06.000 --> 00:04:08.000 He never went to college. 33 00:04:08.000 --> 00:04:11.000 He never put his foot inside a big city. 34 00:04:11.000 --> 00:04:16.000 He never traveled 200 miles from the place he was born. 35 00:04:16.000 --> 00:04:20.000 He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness. 36 00:04:20.000 --> 00:04:26.000 He had no credentials but himself. 37 00:04:26.000 --> 00:04:31.000 While still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against him. 38 00:04:31.000 --> 00:04:33.000 His friends ran away. 39 00:04:33.000 --> 00:04:37.000 One of them denied him. 40 00:04:37.000 --> 00:04:40.000 He was turned over to his enemies. 41 00:04:40.000 --> 00:04:43.000 He went through the mockery of a trial. 42 00:04:43.000 --> 00:04:49.000 He was nailed upon a cross between two thieves. 43 00:04:49.000 --> 00:04:59.000 While he was dying, his executioners gambled for the only piece of property he had on earth, his coat. 44 00:04:59.000 --> 00:05:06.000 When he was dead, he was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend. 45 00:05:06.000 --> 00:05:18.000 19 long centuries now 20 have become and gone. And today he is a centerpiece of the human race and leader of the column of progress. 46 00:05:18.000 --> 00:05:51.000 I am far from within the mark when I say that all the armies that have ever marched, all the navies that have ever sailed, all the parliaments that have ever sat, and all the kings that have ever reigned put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as he has that one solitary life. 47 00:05:51.000 --> 00:06:17.000 From the passage that we heard this morning, Matthew 12:15, and as Clay alluded to, we'll go back to 14. Sorry, but the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus. Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. 48 00:06:17.000 --> 00:06:26.000 For the entire three year ministry of Jesus, he was a wanted man, dead or alive. 49 00:06:26.000 --> 00:06:33.000 Alive, for he was the Messiah, the one Israel had been waiting for. 50 00:06:33.000 --> 00:06:40.000 The one who fulfilled around 300 Old Testament prophecies from his coming. 51 00:06:40.000 --> 00:06:54.000 His virgin birth, his birthplace, his unblemished life, his incredible teachings, his sacrificial death and his miraculous resurrection from the dead. 52 00:06:54.000 --> 00:07:02.000 But Jesus was also wanted dead, for he was considered by the enemy. 53 00:07:02.000 --> 00:07:15.000 He was considered to be the enemy of God by the religious elite for many reasons, but predominantly because he claimed to be God and he claimed that he could forgive sins. 54 00:07:15.000 --> 00:07:36.000 Both were considered blasphemy, punishable by death. In the Old Testament, we read in John 10:30, 33, they picked up stones to stone him for blasphemy because they said, you, a mere man, claim to be God. 55 00:07:36.000 --> 00:07:45.000 And from Mark 2:6, some of the scribes said, he is blaspheming. Who can forgive sins but God alone? 56 00:07:45.000 --> 00:07:57.000 And Matthew 7:21, early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people made Their plans how to have Jesus executed. 57 00:07:57.000 --> 00:08:00.000 Jesus is in Galilee. 58 00:08:00.000 --> 00:08:08.000 He's just come out of the synagogue where he's been disputing with the Pharisees over whether it is permissible to heal on the Sabbath. 59 00:08:08.000 --> 00:08:13.000 Jesus then made it clear by healing a man with a shriveled hand. 60 00:08:13.000 --> 00:08:17.000 But the Pharisees went out to plan how they might kill him. 61 00:08:17.000 --> 00:08:23.000 The text says Jesus was aware of this. 62 00:08:23.000 --> 00:08:30.000 How would you react knowing that the enemies are around you and they want to kill you? 63 00:08:30.000 --> 00:08:34.000 Would you run and hide in the desert? 64 00:08:34.000 --> 00:08:38.000 Would you call the police? 65 00:08:38.000 --> 00:08:49.000 Well, you could, but in Jesus time, if you called the police, they were the authorities that were under the control of the Pharisees. 66 00:08:49.000 --> 00:08:56.000 The text says he withdrew from that place. Jesus simply walks away. 67 00:08:56.000 --> 00:09:01.000 He does not react out of fear, but out of wisdom. 68 00:09:01.000 --> 00:09:07.000 He knows to stay. He's only going to complicate the situation. 69 00:09:07.000 --> 00:09:16.000 The verse goes on to say that many followed him and he healed all their sick, warning them not to tell who he was. 70 00:09:16.000 --> 00:09:23.000 A number of times Jesus told those he healed or cured not to tell anyone. 71 00:09:23.000 --> 00:09:34.000 One of those was when he healed a man with leprosy in the book of Mark 1:43, where we read Jesus at once with a strong warning. 72 00:09:34.000 --> 00:09:48.000 See that you don't tell this to anyone, but go show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded you for your cleansing as a testimony to them. 73 00:09:48.000 --> 00:09:59.000 Jesus is cleansing those with leprosy, healing those who are paralyzed and sick, casting out evil spirits and raising dead men back to life. 74 00:09:59.000 --> 00:10:11.000 Absolutely amazing. Those who saw these things, why did he not want them to tell anybody else? 75 00:10:11.000 --> 00:10:15.000 There are three reasons we can see. 76 00:10:15.000 --> 00:10:22.000 Firstly, Jesus did not want to be considered to be just a miracle worker. 77 00:10:22.000 --> 00:10:29.000 Jesus would prove to be the greatest of all prophets and exceed any other miracle worker. 78 00:10:29.000 --> 00:10:41.000 His ministry was from God and it was clear it was to seek and save what was lost from Luke 19:10. 79 00:10:41.000 --> 00:10:47.000 These miracles revealed Jesus authority over every created thing. 80 00:10:47.000 --> 00:10:53.000 They created crazy excitement and they drew thousands of people to him. 81 00:10:53.000 --> 00:10:59.000 But they were not the reason he came. 82 00:10:59.000 --> 00:11:05.000 Secondly, he did not want his teaching ministry hindered by too much publicity. 83 00:11:05.000 --> 00:11:19.000 Many in Israel believed that when the Messiah arrived that he would be a great warrior king and would lead them out from under the control of Rome. 84 00:11:19.000 --> 00:11:33.000 We read in John 14:15, after the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, surely this is the prophet who is to come into the world. 85 00:11:33.000 --> 00:11:43.000 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself. 86 00:11:43.000 --> 00:11:53.000 And thirdly, Jesus did not want his death to come prematurely, that is before he had finished his ministry. 87 00:11:53.000 --> 00:12:00.000 We learned earlier that the Pharisees, the powerful Jewish leaders, were by now looking to put him to death. 88 00:12:00.000 --> 00:12:12.000 He knew that as his popularity grew, so too would the hatred of those who opposed him and their desire to be rid of him would also grow. 89 00:12:12.000 --> 00:12:22.000 The less these leaders knew about Jesus location and growing life saving ministry, the better. 90 00:12:22.000 --> 00:12:36.000 But in spite of these reasons, we read on in the very next verse instead. That is he, the man who had leprosy, went out and began to talk freely spreading the news. 91 00:12:36.000 --> 00:12:53.000 This publicity did have a negative effect on Jesus ministry, for we read on. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly, but stayed outside in lonely places. 92 00:12:53.000 --> 00:12:55.000 To verse 17. 93 00:12:55.000 --> 00:13:10.000 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah 12 times Matthew describes prophecy from the Old Testament being fulfilled through the ministry of Christ. 94 00:13:10.000 --> 00:13:15.000 The scripture referred to is from Isaiah 42:1 4. 95 00:13:15.000 --> 00:13:25.000 It is the form of a song or a psalm and is one of four penned by the prophet Isaiah. They are called the servant songs. 96 00:13:25.000 --> 00:13:47.000 What is amazing is that Isaiah was a prophet 700 years before the birth of Christ, and yet he predicted in detail the coming Messiah would be of a virgin to be called Immanuel 7:14 and that the Messiah would be the servant who brings justice to the nations. 97 00:13:47.000 --> 00:14:00.000 But probably his most powerful prophecy is from chapter 53 verses 4 and 5. 98 00:14:00.000 --> 00:14:06.000 Surely he took our infirmities and carried our sorrows. 99 00:14:06.000 --> 00:14:12.000 Yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him and afflicted. 100 00:14:12.000 --> 00:14:17.000 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities. 101 00:14:17.000 --> 00:14:30.000 The punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. 102 00:14:30.000 --> 00:14:56.000 Hundreds of years later, the Messiah Jesus the Christ was born of a virgin, grew up in Nazareth, taught and preached in Israel, was tortured and crucified on the cross for our sins, then rose from the dead and is now seated at the right hand of God interceding for all the saints who believe. 103 00:14:56.000 --> 00:15:10.000 If you have ever wondered about the authenticity of the Bible, this is a powerful testimony to its divine origin and its accuracy even in small details. 104 00:15:10.000 --> 00:15:17.000 Have you ever questioned is it completely true? 105 00:15:17.000 --> 00:15:45.000 Because it can be hard to believe that a girl would become pregnant without ever being with a man, or that a man could live to be 969 years old, or how can it be possible for a dead man to come back to life simply by the power of a hand that never touched him? 106 00:15:45.000 --> 00:15:50.000 It don't make sense. 107 00:15:50.000 --> 00:16:00.000 But fulfilled prophecy is one way we can be certain The Bible, the word of God is trustworthy and completely reliable. 108 00:16:00.000 --> 00:16:14.000 True, we may not always understand it, but that will never make it less true or inaccurate. 109 00:16:14.000 --> 00:16:24.000 From verse 18 here is my servant. I have chosen the one I love in whom I delight. 110 00:16:24.000 --> 00:16:30.000 I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations. 111 00:16:30.000 --> 00:16:39.000 The Greek word for servant here is paeus, which can mean child, son or boy. 112 00:16:39.000 --> 00:16:51.000 In the New Testament, Jesus is only referred to as servant four times here and four times in the Book of Acts. 113 00:16:51.000 --> 00:17:02.000 Just a crazy fact I found was pious. Described a boy of an age as one spanked with impunity. 114 00:17:02.000 --> 00:17:15.000 So I'm guessing that no child in Israel wanted to get old enough to be considered pious as from then you could be spanked legally. 115 00:17:15.000 --> 00:17:34.000 Verse 18 is the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy again from centuries earlier. Isaiah 42:1 Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love in whom I delight. I I will put my Holy Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. 116 00:17:34.000 --> 00:17:52.000 These verses are also recorded a third time in Scripture when in one of the rare moments when God's voice is heard audibly. Matthew 3:16, 17 read as soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. 117 00:17:52.000 --> 00:18:07.000 At that moment heaven was opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, this is my son, whom I love. 118 00:18:07.000 --> 00:18:15.000 With him I am well pleased. 119 00:18:15.000 --> 00:18:22.000 In these verses God makes four things clear. 120 00:18:22.000 --> 00:18:36.000 1 Jesus is His Son 2 He loves His Son 3 He takes delight in His Son and 4 He will put his Holy Spirit on his Son. 121 00:18:36.000 --> 00:18:41.000 This is great news for us. 122 00:18:41.000 --> 00:18:44.000 If you have submitted your life to God through Christ. 123 00:18:44.000 --> 00:18:50.000 2 Corinthians 6:18 has become your reality. 124 00:18:50.000 --> 00:18:57.000 I will be a father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. 125 00:18:57.000 --> 00:19:06.000 And again in Romans 8, 16, 17 the Spirit himself testifies with our Spirit that we are God's children. 126 00:19:06.000 --> 00:19:17.000 Now if we are God's children, then we are heirs, heirs of God and coheirs of Christ. 127 00:19:17.000 --> 00:19:22.000 Therefore four things are ours. 128 00:19:22.000 --> 00:19:30.000 1 We are like Jesus, God's son or daughter. 129 00:19:30.000 --> 00:19:34.000 1 John 3:2 2 God loves us. 130 00:19:34.000 --> 00:19:40.000 Romans 5:8, 3 He takes delight in us. 131 00:19:40.000 --> 00:19:49.000 Psalm 147:11 and you guessed it, for he has put his Holy spirit in us. 132 00:19:49.000 --> 00:19:56.000 2 Corinthians 1:22 this is the good news for you and I. 133 00:19:56.000 --> 00:20:03.000 This is the Gospel, The second part of verse 18. 134 00:20:03.000 --> 00:20:08.000 He will proclaim justice to the nations. 135 00:20:08.000 --> 00:20:14.000 Jesus life, death and resurrection brought a new world order. 136 00:20:14.000 --> 00:20:21.000 He established the new covenant that through grace your sins could be forgiven. 137 00:20:21.000 --> 00:20:28.000 No longer would sacrifices be needed. He paid for them all. 138 00:20:28.000 --> 00:20:34.000 His coming also reset date and time around the world. 139 00:20:34.000 --> 00:20:48.000 Is it even possible for us to understand the significance of what this one man who lived 33 years? And out of those 33, only three in ministry had on history? 140 00:20:48.000 --> 00:20:56.000 I have heard it said of Jesus that history is his story. 141 00:20:56.000 --> 00:21:04.000 In just three years, he changed history, not just in Israel or the Middle east, but the entire world. 142 00:21:04.000 --> 00:21:15.000 The incredible impact of one solitary life. 143 00:21:15.000 --> 00:21:19.000 He will not cry. He will not quarrel or cry out. 144 00:21:19.000 --> 00:21:23.000 No one will hear his voice in the streets. 145 00:21:23.000 --> 00:21:33.000 Jesus was not like any other religious leader of his time, particularly those he describes in Matthew 6. 5. 146 00:21:33.000 --> 00:21:44.000 And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners, to be seen by men. 147 00:21:44.000 --> 00:21:51.000 Jesus very nature is quiet, humble and loving. 148 00:21:51.000 --> 00:21:58.000 He still taught out loud, speaking to thousands with no microphone and no speakers. 149 00:21:58.000 --> 00:22:02.000 And he often prayed out loud, as he did at Lazarus Tomb. 150 00:22:02.000 --> 00:22:14.000 But each time it is to honour his Father or edify and encourage others not to draw attention to himself. 151 00:22:14.000 --> 00:22:19.000 The bruised reed he will not break. 152 00:22:19.000 --> 00:22:25.000 The reed symbolises an expression of fragility and weakness. 153 00:22:25.000 --> 00:22:39.000 In ancient times, reeds were used for many things, like to make pens for writing, or woven together to make baskets or mats or even a bed to sleep on. 154 00:22:39.000 --> 00:22:50.000 But should it get bent or crushed, it would become weak and easily broken. 155 00:22:50.000 --> 00:23:08.000 Doctor Phil Andrews shared in his message a couple of weeks back how Jesus described himself in Matthew 11:29. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart. 156 00:23:08.000 --> 00:23:22.000 Jesus will never turn away from you, even if you are damaged, even if you are afflicted, or even if you're weak. 157 00:23:22.000 --> 00:23:31.000 A smouldering wick he will not snuff out till he leads justice to victory. 158 00:23:31.000 --> 00:23:38.000 Throughout history, oil lanterns or fuel lanterns have been used for lighting. 159 00:23:38.000 --> 00:23:53.000 Those of you in this building of a certain age will remember the old kerosene lanterns or oil lanterns, where you would wind the wick up and you would light it and then you put the tube back on the top. 160 00:23:53.000 --> 00:24:08.000 The lamps used in the first century had a clay canister or jar of olive oil, and they'd have a small, dense fabric wick, like a piece of rope that would draw up the oil and you would light the top with fire. 161 00:24:08.000 --> 00:24:20.000 But as the wick burned away and the oil drew low, you would be left with just a very dim light and a lot of smoke. 162 00:24:20.000 --> 00:24:36.000 The smouldering wick symbolises a person whose faith or hope is nearly extinguished, often representing those who are burnt out, discouraged or feeling spiritually weak. 163 00:24:36.000 --> 00:25:09.000 The promise here is that despite delays, injustices, or of our personal brokenness, Jesus will never give up on us, saving and helping us until his ultimate victory, where his righteousness will prevail over all evil and suffering, not necessarily through violent force, but through steadfast, gentle love, making it a source of hope for this broken people and broken world. 164 00:25:09.000 --> 00:25:19.000 And finally, from verse 21, In his name the nations will put their hope. 165 00:25:19.000 --> 00:25:26.000 As we live through some of the most turbulent times that many of us have ever seen in our lives. 166 00:25:26.000 --> 00:25:42.000 From COVID the Hamas attacks on Israel, the Gaza war, Ukraine and Russia, and now in Iran, it would be easy to think that the world is falling apart. 167 00:25:42.000 --> 00:25:51.000 But in God's sovereign plan, it is falling into place. 168 00:25:51.000 --> 00:26:00.000 These things are not a surprise to Him. 169 00:26:00.000 --> 00:26:07.000 To wind this up this morning, may we understand that challenges will come our way. 170 00:26:07.000 --> 00:26:31.000 For you, it may be an illness or you're dealing with a sickness or family issues, or simply the effects of Dob, your date of birth, Or as we heard last week at this time for God's church here at Summerhill. 171 00:26:31.000 --> 00:26:36.000 And there are some challenges here that we need to pray through. 172 00:26:36.000 --> 00:26:56.000 But the one thing that has not and will not change is the truth of God's word, his promises, and the certainty of his character and love towards us and to his church. 173 00:26:56.000 --> 00:27:04.000 Reading from Psalm 139:7. 174 00:27:04.000 --> 00:27:08.000 Where can I go from your spirit? 175 00:27:08.000 --> 00:27:12.000 Where can I flee from your presence? 176 00:27:12.000 --> 00:27:17.000 If I go up into the heavens, you are there. 177 00:27:17.000 --> 00:27:22.000 If I make my bed in the depths, you are there. 178 00:27:22.000 --> 00:27:33.000 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me. 179 00:27:33.000 --> 00:27:41.000 Your right hand will hold me fast. 180 00:27:41.000 --> 00:27:48.000 Let us pray. 181 00:27:48.000 --> 00:27:52.000 Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for this morning. 182 00:27:52.000 --> 00:27:57.000 We thank you for your word, your truth. 183 00:27:57.000 --> 00:28:03.000 We thank you for Jesus. We thank you that he went to the cross for us. 184 00:28:03.000 --> 00:28:07.000 We thank you for your mercy. We thank you for your love. 185 00:28:07.000 --> 00:28:13.000 And Father, we thank you for the hope that is in you and in Christ. 186 00:28:13.000 --> 00:28:16.000 May you go with us, each one this week. 187 00:28:16.000 --> 00:28:22.000 Guide us to righteousness, call us to love those around us. 188 00:28:22.000 --> 00:28:28.000 And Father, strengthen us to do these things in the name of Jesus. 189 00:28:28.000 --> 00:28:30.000 Amen.