Sermons

One of the great themes of Matthew is for disciples to join the mission. 

Matthew 9 concludes with Jesus issuing a prayer request:  

^ESV  Matthew 9:38 therefore ^apray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to ^bsend out laborers into his harvest.”

 

This forms a natural bridge into chapter 10 where Jesus calls his twelve disciples known as the twelve Apostles.

• Jesus commissions them into the mission.
• Matthew’s Gospel concludes with the most famous commission, the Great Commission, where Jesus sends all disciples to “go and make disciples.”

^ESV  Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and said to them, ^a“All authority ^bin heaven and on earth has been given to me. ^{19 a}Go therefore and ^bmake disciples of ^call nations, ^abaptizing them ^fin^{1 d}the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,²⁰ teaching them ^ato observe all that ^bI have commanded you. And behold, ^cI am with you always, to ^dthe end of the age.”

 

“What will joining this mission truly mean for 21^st Century daily life?”  Our text offers answers.   

[READ Matthew 9:27-31]  

In verse 27 Jesus encounters two blind men.

• Jesus leaves Jairus’ home (Capernaum) where he raised his little girl back to life.

 

• Crowds swarm Jesus again but two stand out.
  • Two pressing to be with Jesus are blind.
  • Two blind men, “…crying aloud, ‘Have mercy on us, Son of David’” (v. 27).
  • Origin of their blindness left unknown, still very bold.
    • Bold in effort being handicapped.
    • Yet sticking with Jesus in stride and in a crowd.

 

• Note these men came to faith in Jesus by hearing!
  • Not coming to Jesus for faith but because of faith.

^ESV  Romans 10:17 So ^afaith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

• Not beguiled by what Jesus could do!
• Not pressured by swarming crowds nor by hype.
• Through their eyes of faith, they saw their Messiah.

 

• Bold in speech, openly confessing Jesus as “Son of David” meaning Messiah.

 

• No Old Testament miracle records healing blindness.

 

• A particular miracle marking Messiah’s arrival; what these two men knew.    

^ESV  Isaiah 35:4-6 Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! ^aBehold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.” ^{5 a}Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped;^{6 a}then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. ^bFor waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert

 

These men called Jesus the Son of David being convinced he was their promised King, from traceable to David and so they knew Isaiah 35:5 was for them.

 

As background to prove, when you join Jesus’ mission, you will meet bold believers.

 1. You will meet bold believers (vv. 27-31)

Not testing whether these two were genuine believers. They were!

• Jesus’ question affirms rather than tests their faith (v. 28).
  • They were “crying aloud” for Jesus to “Have mercy on us” (v. 27).
  • Could have healed them publicly but brought them inside a house.
    • Matthew’s home or Peter’s home?
    • Asked, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” (v. 28).

 “How bold were they?” “They said to him, ‘Yes, Lord.’” (v. 28).

^ESV  2 Corinthians 1:20 For ^aall the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our ^bAmen to God for his glory.

• “Yes Lord” (v. 28).
  • Jesus is asking, “Are you a believer?”
  • “Do you believe I am the One who can offer you physical sight?”

 

• The Messiah? Yes Lord. I love the “no hesitation!”

 

 

What would you say? What do you say, when facing desperate or even mild life circumstances?

Do you believe I can pull you out of or pull you through this situation?

The answer must be without hesitation, Yes Lord, confirming real faith.

 

Jesus’ response is as bold as their confession.

^ESV  Matthew 9:29 ^aThen he touched their eyes, saying, ^b“According to your faith be it done to you.”

• The next verse confirms, “their eyes were opened” (v. 30).
  • [Point] They were bold believers.
  • Bold faith drew them to Jesus because they knew this was Messiah.

 

• Were they desperate for their “sight?” Of course.
• More than physical sight, they were believers.

Some say their conversion took place through Jesus’ miracle.

• Physical blindness, a metaphor, for spiritual blindness.
  • They were blind and now they see!
  • Their blindness pictures the lesser priority.
  • What mattered most was getting to the “Son of David.”
    • Only One of him!
    • RC Sproul said, “What would it be like for the first thing you to see, to be the face of Jesus?”

False teaching says, “If you muster enough faith, you will be healed.” 

• Jesus saying, “According to your faith be it done to you” (v. 29).
  • Not believe hard enough to be healed.
  • “So much faith means so much sight.”
  • This can be applied as just raw LEGALISM.
    • Effort means blessing.
    • Performance trap.

 

• They wanted their Savior and Jesus made this happen.
  • The core is always genuine faith.
  • Believing in Christ as core for life.
  • Nothing more and nothing less.

 

• What Jesus did and said proves this out.
  • Jesus brought the blind men into a house before healing them.
  • After healing them, “Jesus sternly warned them, [to] ‘See that no one knows about it’” (v. 30).

 

• Ensure nobody finds out what happened to them.
  • “Messianic Secret”
    • Blind from birth, or congenital disease?
    • We do not know.
    • Text does not say.

 

• “Act like nothing happened to you.”
  • Why? The point is not the miracle but Messiah.
  • As dramatic as someone blind (two), receiving sight.
  • No one will not genuinely believe unless their spiritual blindness is lifted by saving faith.

 

• What did they do? Believers, “spread his fame through all that district” (v. 31).
  • Isn’t this the point of the mission?
  • Don’t we not want word to get around?

 

Ask yourself how truly effective the mega church movement is in terms of genuine, saving faith? The largest draw under the name and power of Jesus is at best a façade. Jesus did not want this kind of fame.

The Messianic Secret where Jesus wants to keep superficiality at bay.

• Not wanting crowds to seek Jesus as:
  • Miracle Savior to save people from their bad health.
  • Political Savior to save people from their bad politics.   
  • Covid Savior to save people’s health.
  • Politics Savior; the answer to Biden and our freedoms.
  • CRT Savior from racism.
  • Poverty Savior.
  • Injustice Savior.

Jesus is Savior from one thing. 

• What happened back in Genesis 3.
  • Sin entered the world.
  • Sin entered your life.
  • He is the Savior from your sin.

 

• Jesus is not the Savior of a multiplied million symptoms of sin.
  • Jesus answers the curse and will right all earthly wrongs.
  • Jesus came to save us the source all that is wrong.
  • From Sin.

 

• Jesus’ mission culminates with the
  • Not jeopardize his mission.
  • Nor the timetable.

 

• Healing symptoms proved Messiahship but never dealt with the source, SIN.

The biggest problem someone has is not between themselves and what is going on with this world.  The biggest problem is between himself and God.  Sin brings God’s wrath and God’s wrath means eternal judgement.

^ESV  Romans 1:18 For ^athe wrath of God ^bis revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.

Joining Jesus’ mission is joining a mission that deals with the source which is sin. 

• Bold believers, once healed, their boldness got the better of them.
  • Can we really fault them for what they did?
    • I am not sure I can.
    • God’s Word is silent on whether their actions grieved Jesus.

I remember meeting my first person who was blind as a child in church.  Perhaps I had seen someone who was blind, but I specifically remember being in a special meeting probably will in pre-school who came into a classroom setting.  What I remember was her coming in and laying brail for us to touch.  She explained how she could read letters by their distinct raised dots as she moved them over the page.  We were all fascinated by this.  She spoke of other ways she engaged her world by touch to meet her needs.  We were instructed to put neck ties over our eyes and wander to around our room in complete darkness to relate.  I was so young, I can barely remember what this lady looked like but what I do remember was your calm demeanor and smile.  She was blind but a believer. 

Joining Jesus mission will mean you will meet bold believers, but it will also mean you will face demonic oppression. 

• This brings us to Jesus next patient, a demon-oppressed mute.
  • Jesus was “the Great Itinerant…on a Medical Mission and Evangelistic Tour” [Spurgeon].
  • While still in the house, having just healed the two blind men, “As two patients leave surgery, another is brought in” [Spurgeon].

[READ vv. 32-34]

Joining Jesus’ mission will also mean:

 2. You will encounter demonic oppression (vv. 32-34)

Someone brought this demon-oppressed man to Jesus. 

“How is the demon controlling this man’s inability to speak?” 

• The simple, immediate answer is we do not know.
  • We cannot understand how demon involvement.
    • Only man’s experience is naïve.
    • Automatically attributing every sickness to demons is equally naïve.

 

• “How do we know when someone is being oppressed by a demon?”
  • When someone contradicts Christ or Gospel.
    • Adds to or Takes from.
    • Demons are same ilk as Satan, the father or lies.

 

• Satan’s schemes to steal, kill, and destroy.

 

• Christ makes your eternal soul off limits.
  • Satan will do everything to stall your growth or mission.
  • Why we resist him and/or disarm doctrines of demons.

 

• We resist the tempter/accuser with the armor of God.
  • Discern temptations.
  • Fiery darts.

In this case, this man could not speak.

• Some add deafness (one causing the other); we do not know.
  • Being mute is another extremely debilitating condition.
    • Isolated from connecting with the world.
      • Sign language is a unique blessing.
      • Blind men would not have.

 

• Speech is a clear means for connecting, especially with Christ.

 

• This demon had control of this man’s tongue.

Brought to Jesus, Jesus “cast out” the demon and “the mute man spoke” (v. 33). 

• Do not know what he said.
  • This is immaterial.
  • He was now able to speak.

“So, what is the point of this miracle?”  

Jesus revealing the difference between the symptom and the source. 

• The symptom, man’s inability to speak; isolated and cut off from the natural world.
  • The source of impaired life was demonic.
    • Isolated from Christ, under the control of Satan.
      • The “god of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers” (2 Cor. 4).
      • In this case, Christ cast out this demon to release him from his life being controlled by Satan.

 

• Blind men freely came to Christ as believers.
  • Acknowledging Jesus as Messiah.
  • By contrast, this man had to be brought to Jesus being under a spell.

Joining Jesus’ mission means you will encounter others locked down by Satan, leaving only one way to release him, the Gospel. 

• The Gospel is the power of God to Salvation (Rom. 1:16).

 

We underestimate the power of the Satan in the lives of so many around us and we likewise discount the power of the Gospel to affect the very change they need. 

Modern technology offers the immediate means to communicate truth to people anywhere in the world at any time. We should use it. When you communicate truth (the sword of the Spirit), you immediately extend the ministry and mission of Jesus Christ. Every time. 

The Latin phrase that became a battle cry of the reformation was Post Tenebras Lux, After Darkness, Light.  This phrase was brought to bear when the Word of God was translated into the common man’s language and especially with the invention of the Guttenberg printing press, the Bible could be copied and sent out like never before.  The cellular network has taken things to another level in terms of personal outreach. 

When this man spoke, “…the crowds marveled” (v. 33) meaning they were amazed. 

• Miracle was equally dramatic: “Never was anything like this seen in Israel” (v. 33).
  • A pre-curser being Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist.

 

• Another Messianic sign validated from Isaiah 35:6.

^ESV  Isaiah 35:6 ^athen shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. ^bFor waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert

• In Luke, we read of Jesus pulling the scroll

^ESV  Luke 4:18 ^ab“The Spirit of the Lord ^bis upon me, because he has anointed me to ^cproclaim good news to the poor. ^dHe has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and ^erecovering of sight to the blind, ^fto set at liberty those who are oppressed

Again, while on mission you will see bold believers and in this case people who become believers, being released from demonic control and then you also see people who are “amazed” or who will “marvel” at God’s power. 

• Not always positive, as amazement is never equal to faith.
  • Many “not far from the kingdom” who need to take the true step of faith.

 

This brings us to another category to be avoided at all cost. 

• Being hardened to apostacy.
  • The heart of the Pharisee. “But the Pharisees said, ‘He cast out demons by the prince of demons” (v. 34).

 

• Jesus will contradict this kind of misconstrued logic, saying a house divided cannot stand, how can Satan be against Satan?

^ESV  Matthew 12:25-28 ^aKnowing their thoughts, ^bhe said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. ²⁶ And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?²⁷ And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, ^aby whom do ^byour sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges.

²⁸ But if it is ^aby the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then ^bthe kingdom of God has come upon you.

 

Pharisees, like the crowds are not denying the power Christ has displayed. 

• No one refuting miracle being a miracle against the demonic realm.
  • Indictment is attributing miracle to the prince of demons, namely to Satan.
    • Pharisees unlike the Sadducees do not deny the spiritual realm.
    • Twisting this realm upside down.
      • Blaspheming the Holy Spirit.
      • Hardened like Pharoah.
    • Being in this kind of proximity to Christ and His power and not only disbelieving in Christ but casting him as under the power of Satan is ultimate and damning.

 

• Practically speaking when people will curse the Gospel or God’s Word, they are dangerously close to doing the same thing.

 

• Contra to Jesus being empowered by Satan, these Pharisees were being empowered by Satan.

“Why Pharisees were they siding with Satan?”

• It easily could be attributed to:
  • Their traditions, what amounts to their religious system.
  • To their pride, what amounts to self-achievement.
  • Their prejudices, what amounts to their false ideologies.

I want to emphasize that apostacy is usually subtle.

• Apostasy is subtle because, Satan is subtle.
  • He was subtle in the garden in Genesis 3.
  • He was subtle with Jesus in the wilderness.
  • He is subtle as he will tempt your flesh, with the same basic temptation logic.
    • “Did God really say…?” Question truth!
    • “Is God withholding something you truly deserve?” You should play God!

^ESV  1 John 2:14-16 I write to you, fathers, because you know ^ahim who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because ^byou are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one. ^{15 a}Do not love the world or the things in the world. ^bIf anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.¹⁶ For all that is in the world–^athe desires of the flesh and ^bthe desires of the eyes and pride in possessions–is not from the Father but is from the world.

 

• The world is under the control of Satan, temptations flow from this realm.
  • Today’s – Religion is CRT (SJW’s).

 

• Satan’s smokescreen penetrating the church is to divide believers to make our battle ourselves for a lesser agenda: Save the world or country from liberal agendas.

 

• Subdue Satanic doctrines and bring people the Saving Message.

 

This brings us to my final point; When you join Jesus’ mission:

 3. You will melt with compassion for the lost (vv. 35-38)

Jesus had a personal ministry with people and had a very public ministry with people. 

Verse 35 opens his very broad ministry. 

• He went to “all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues” (v. 35).
  • Not limiting himself to a specific post but moved widely.
    • Jesus, turning synagogues into seminaries.
      • Addressed source of sin with Gospel.
      • Addressed symptoms of sin healing “every disease and every affliction” (v. 35).

 

• Christ’s motivation, what drives mission.
  • In a word, “compassion” (v. 36).
    • [Splagxvisthe] pictures feelings in bowels.
      • Feeling sympathy for what they do not have!
      • “harassed and helpless” like “sheep without a shepherd” (v. 36).

 

• When people have no direction, sad.
  • Left to themselves, no leadership from the Lord
  • Wandering around, led by their flesh.
  • People left to the world.
  • Wandering from everything good for them.
  • Self-destructive habits of sin.

“What takes people out of this kind of pit?” 

• One Person, and that is Jesus.
  • Jesus healed everyone and within his scope of influence.
  • Preached truth broadly.

This mindset is why I believe it is worthwhile to broadcast our sermons, to write blogs, to host a Christian school, to train laymen, mobilize volunteers to serve, and train seminarians. 

The lesson I taught on Wednesday in Seminary was from 2 Timothy 2:2. Paul to Timothy, Timothy to faithful men, Faithful men who teach others also. 

This is the invisible advancement of the Kingdom of God.  Exponential growth to people in need of the Shepherd. 

I just heard that Voice for Christ radio is now broadcasting this pulpit to another village, Norvik, which is the northwestern part of Alaska, 668 people. 

“Why are these people hearing the Word from this pulpit?  Because you have compassion for them. 

Jesus builds this motivation, with the assurance of victory. 

• “Why join Jesus’ mission?”
  • “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few” (v. 37).
    • The logic is that the only reason we are not seeing more people saved, is we do not have enough people out there to pick the crop!
    • More laborers will mean more harvest.

I am a sports fan, which means I regularly use my DVR to record games I will watch later, fast forwarding through commercials.  When I want to watch a game, there is nothing more frustrating then finding out the outcome like a spoiler alert before watching it.  What is worse than finding out the score is finding out that my team lost!  Knowing my team wins means I will watch the game after all anticipating the end result. 

We know the final score and that Jesus wins, so why not jump in.  Have compassion for wandering souls and do not be too surprised when some come into line under Jesus. 

Verse 38 says, “pray earnestly” or passionately for something.  What is it? 

• For “…the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (v. 38).
  • Pray people join the mission.
  • Join what Jesus is in charge of!
  • Are we looking for a new LEADER?

 

• Jesus was never going to fail his mission.
  • Never not going to win, while of earth.
  • Nothing has changed.
  • Jesus still wins.
  • He is Lord of his harvest.

One final point. 

• This is the first time in Matthew’s Gospel where Jesus opens the vision of the disciple’s future mission.
  • For a Jew, following a Rabbi was the model.
  • Jesus now speaks of passing the baton from disciple to disciple.
  • New concept!

 

• Follow and make followers who will make followers.

“Where is God leading you to join his mission?” 

 

Conclusion: I want to build on an earlier point by bringing up a prayer request. 

I asked Carol Staus if I could share about our conversation, we had this week.

She has recently discovered that she has stage 4 cancer. 

I called her this week and she and Dave on speaker fellowshipped with me. 

 

Back to my first point, which was that being on mission means you will meet bold believers. 

Carol is one of those! 

 

She nailed a point that I will never forget. 

She said: “I know God is in control, but I have come to now know, I was never in control!” 

She’s on a mission through suffering. 

She has allowed cancer to boil away all the distractions. 

 

John Newton – “Amazing Grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now I am found, was blind but now I see”