The Two Sides of God

[00:00:00] 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. [00:00:28] And I pray, Father, that you would be glorified through all that we do here this day. [00:00:33] In Jesus name we pray. [00:00:35] Amen. [00:00:40] As has been alluded to this morning, we are following on through our study in the book of Matthew. [00:00:46] And today we will begin by looking at the two sides of God. [00:00:52] Both sides, if you like, of the one coin. [00:00:56] Firstly, the almighty power and authority of God over creation and nature. [00:01:03] And secondly, the servant hearted, faithful, patient love of Christ for his people. [00:01:17] And that is where we will spend most of our time this morning. [00:01:20] So we begin in Genesis with the incredible creation story. [00:01:26] The power of God, simply speaking. And a dry land is raised up and vast oceans are given their boundaries. [00:01:37] The sun, moon and stars are put in place. [00:01:41] 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. [00:01:57] 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. [00:02:07] 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. [00:02:21] 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. [00:02:33] And he rebukes the wind and said to the waves, quiet, be still. [00:02:40] And the wind died down and it was completely calm. [00:02:46] These events demonstrate the authority and the power of our incredible and holy God. [00:02:59] But this morning we will take a journey through a passage that describes our Lord and Saviour as God's chosen servant. [00:03:09] Our reading reveals the solid, deeply grounded love and nature of God through Jesus Christ. [00:03:20] 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. [00:03:33] You may have heard it before. It's called One Solitary Life. [00:03:39] Here is a man who was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. [00:03:46] He grew up in another village. [00:03:48] He worked in a carpenter shop until he was 30. [00:03:53] Then for three years he was an itinerant pastor. [00:03:57] He never owned a home. [00:03:59] He never wrote a book. He never held an office. [00:04:04] He never had a family. [00:04:06] He never went to college. [00:04:08] He never put his foot inside a big city. [00:04:11] He never traveled 200 miles from the place he was born. [00:04:16] He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness. [00:04:20] He had no credentials but himself. [00:04:26] While still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against him. [00:04:31] His friends ran away. [00:04:33] One of them denied him. [00:04:37] He was turned over to his enemies. [00:04:40] He went through the mockery of a trial. [00:04:43] He was nailed upon a cross between two thieves. [00:04:49] While he was dying, his executioners gambled for the only piece of property he had on earth, his coat. [00:04:59] When he was dead, he was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend. [00:05:06] 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. [00:05:18] 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. [00:05:51] 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. [00:06:17] For the entire three year ministry of Jesus, he was a wanted man, dead or alive. [00:06:26] Alive, for he was the Messiah, the one Israel had been waiting for. [00:06:33] The one who fulfilled around 300 Old Testament prophecies from his coming. [00:06:40] His virgin birth, his birthplace, his unblemished life, his incredible teachings, his sacrificial death and his miraculous resurrection from the dead. [00:06:54] But Jesus was also wanted dead, for he was considered by the enemy. [00:07:02] 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. [00:07:15] 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. [00:07:36] And from Mark 2:6, some of the scribes said, he is blaspheming. Who can forgive sins but God alone? [00:07:45] 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. [00:07:57] Jesus is in Galilee. [00:08:00] 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. [00:08:08] Jesus then made it clear by healing a man with a shriveled hand. [00:08:13] But the Pharisees went out to plan how they might kill him. [00:08:17] The text says Jesus was aware of this. [00:08:23] How would you react knowing that the enemies are around you and they want to kill you? [00:08:30] Would you run and hide in the desert? [00:08:34] Would you call the police? [00:08:38] Well, you could, but in Jesus time, if you called the police, they were the authorities that were under the control of the Pharisees. [00:08:49] The text says he withdrew from that place. Jesus simply walks away. [00:08:56] He does not react out of fear, but out of wisdom. [00:09:01] He knows to stay. He's only going to complicate the situation. [00:09:07] The verse goes on to say that many followed him and he healed all their sick, warning them not to tell who he was. [00:09:16] A number of times Jesus told those he healed or cured not to tell anyone. [00:09:23] 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. [00:09:34] 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. [00:09:48] Jesus is cleansing those with leprosy, healing those who are paralyzed and sick, casting out evil spirits and raising dead men back to life. [00:09:59] Absolutely amazing. Those who saw these things, why did he not want them to tell anybody else? [00:10:11] There are three reasons we can see. [00:10:15] Firstly, Jesus did not want to be considered to be just a miracle worker. [00:10:22] Jesus would prove to be the greatest of all prophets and exceed any other miracle worker. [00:10:29] His ministry was from God and it was clear it was to seek and save what was lost from Luke 19:10. [00:10:41] These miracles revealed Jesus authority over every created thing. [00:10:47] They created crazy excitement and they drew thousands of people to him. [00:10:53] But they were not the reason he came. [00:10:59] Secondly, he did not want his teaching ministry hindered by too much publicity. [00:11:05] 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. [00:11:19] 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. [00:11:33] Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself. [00:11:43] And thirdly, Jesus did not want his death to come prematurely, that is before he had finished his ministry. [00:11:53] We learned earlier that the Pharisees, the powerful Jewish leaders, were by now looking to put him to death. [00:12:00] 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. [00:12:12] The less these leaders knew about Jesus location and growing life saving ministry, the better. [00:12:22] 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. [00:12:36] 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. [00:12:53] To verse 17. [00:12:55] 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. [00:13:10] The scripture referred to is from Isaiah 42:1 4. [00:13:15] 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. [00:13:25] 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. [00:13:47] But probably his most powerful prophecy is from chapter 53 verses 4 and 5. [00:14:00] Surely he took our infirmities and carried our sorrows. [00:14:06] Yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him and afflicted. [00:14:12] But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities. [00:14:17] The punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. [00:14:30] 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. [00:14:56] 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. [00:15:10] Have you ever questioned is it completely true? [00:15:17] 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? [00:15:45] It don't make sense. [00:15:50] But fulfilled prophecy is one way we can be certain The Bible, the word of God is trustworthy and completely reliable. [00:16:00] True, we may not always understand it, but that will never make it less true or inaccurate. [00:16:14] From verse 18 here is my servant. I have chosen the one I love in whom I delight. [00:16:24] I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations. [00:16:30] The Greek word for servant here is paeus, which can mean child, son or boy. [00:16:39] In the New Testament, Jesus is only referred to as servant four times here and four times in the Book of Acts. [00:16:51] Just a crazy fact I found was pious. Described a boy of an age as one spanked with impunity. [00:17:02] 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. [00:17:15] 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. [00:17:34] 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. [00:17:52] 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. [00:18:07] With him I am well pleased. [00:18:15] In these verses God makes four things clear. [00:18:22] 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. [00:18:36] This is great news for us. [00:18:41] If you have submitted your life to God through Christ. [00:18:44] 2 Corinthians 6:18 has become your reality. [00:18:50] I will be a father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. [00:18:57] And again in Romans 8, 16, 17 the Spirit himself testifies with our Spirit that we are God's children. [00:19:06] Now if we are God's children, then we are heirs, heirs of God and coheirs of Christ. [00:19:17] Therefore four things are ours. [00:19:22] 1 We are like Jesus, God's son or daughter. [00:19:30] 1 John 3:2 2 God loves us. [00:19:34] Romans 5:8, 3 He takes delight in us. [00:19:40] Psalm 147:11 and you guessed it, for he has put his Holy spirit in us. [00:19:49] 2 Corinthians 1:22 this is the good news for you and I. [00:19:56] This is the Gospel, The second part of verse 18. [00:20:03] He will proclaim justice to the nations. [00:20:08] Jesus life, death and resurrection brought a new world order. [00:20:14] He established the new covenant that through grace your sins could be forgiven. [00:20:21] No longer would sacrifices be needed. He paid for them all. [00:20:28] His coming also reset date and time around the world. [00:20:34] 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? [00:20:48] I have heard it said of Jesus that history is his story. [00:20:56] In just three years, he changed history, not just in Israel or the Middle east, but the entire world. [00:21:04] The incredible impact of one solitary life. [00:21:15] He will not cry. He will not quarrel or cry out. [00:21:19] No one will hear his voice in the streets. [00:21:23] Jesus was not like any other religious leader of his time, particularly those he describes in Matthew 6. 5. [00:21:33] 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. [00:21:44] Jesus very nature is quiet, humble and loving. [00:21:51] He still taught out loud, speaking to thousands with no microphone and no speakers. [00:21:58] And he often prayed out loud, as he did at Lazarus Tomb. [00:22:02] But each time it is to honour his Father or edify and encourage others not to draw attention to himself. [00:22:14] The bruised reed he will not break. [00:22:19] The reed symbolises an expression of fragility and weakness. [00:22:25] 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. [00:22:39] But should it get bent or crushed, it would become weak and easily broken. [00:22:50] 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. [00:23:08] Jesus will never turn away from you, even if you are damaged, even if you are afflicted, or even if you're weak. [00:23:22] A smouldering wick he will not snuff out till he leads justice to victory. [00:23:31] Throughout history, oil lanterns or fuel lanterns have been used for lighting. [00:23:38] 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. [00:23:53] 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. [00:24:08] 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. [00:24:20] 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. [00:24:36] 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. [00:25:09] And finally, from verse 21, In his name the nations will put their hope. [00:25:19] As we live through some of the most turbulent times that many of us have ever seen in our lives. [00:25:26] 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. [00:25:42] But in God's sovereign plan, it is falling into place. [00:25:51] These things are not a surprise to Him. [00:26:00] To wind this up this morning, may we understand that challenges will come our way. [00:26:07] 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. [00:26:31] And there are some challenges here that we need to pray through. [00:26:36] 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. [00:26:56] Reading from Psalm 139:7. [00:27:04] Where can I go from your spirit? [00:27:08] Where can I flee from your presence? [00:27:12] If I go up into the heavens, you are there. [00:27:17] If I make my bed in the depths, you are there. [00:27:22] 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. [00:27:33] Your right hand will hold me fast. [00:27:41] Let us pray. [00:27:48] Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for this morning. [00:27:52] We thank you for your word, your truth. [00:27:57] We thank you for Jesus. We thank you that he went to the cross for us. [00:28:03] We thank you for your mercy. We thank you for your love. [00:28:07] And Father, we thank you for the hope that is in you and in Christ. [00:28:13] May you go with us, each one this week. [00:28:16] Guide us to righteousness, call us to love those around us. [00:28:22] And Father, strengthen us to do these things in the name of Jesus. [00:28:28] Amen.