IT IS NOT WHAT WE EAT THAT DEFILES US

PROCLAMATION

“And He called the multitude, and said unto them, ‘Hear, and understand;  Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.’ ”   Matthew 15:10-11 (KJV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words are from the gospel, the good news regarding Jesus, The Christ, which were spoken by Christ according to the Apostle Matthew.  Some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law came from Jerusalem and questioned Jesus regarding His disciples breaking tradition and not washing their hands before they ate. (Matthew 15:1-2)  Jesus asked them why they broke the commandments of God in order to keep their traditions, then He called them hypocrites. (Matthew 15:3-9)  Then He spoke to the crowd and said what they eat does not defile them.  What defiles them is the words which come out of their mouth. (Matthew 15:10-20)  For out of the mouth come the issues of the heart including evil sinful thoughts. (Matthew 12:34)  Then Jesus left there and went  along the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. (Matthew 15:21)  There a Canaanite woman asked Him to heal her demon-possessed daughter.  Jesus told her that He was sent for the house of Israel.  Her response to Him was that the dogs can benefit from the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.  Jesus was impressed by her faith and He healed her daughter that very hour. (Matthew 15:22-28)  He left there and went up into a mountain and a great crowd came to Him bringing their lame, blind, mute, crippled, and people with other disorders and He healed them all, and they glorified God. (Matthew 15:29-31)  Jesus had compassion on the crowd which had been with Him for three days with nothing to eat.  With seven loaves of bread and a few small fish, He fed the crowd of four thousand men plus their women and children. (Matthew 15:32-39)

 

APPLICATION

Many people will not eat certain foods because they think that eating it will defile them.  The words which people speak reflect the beliefs of the heart and mind.  Therefore, it is that which comes out the mouth that defiles a person, not that which they eat. (Matthew 15:17-18)  Our problem is not the foods that we eat, our problem is the wickedness of our heart and the words that we speak.  Every sin which we commit begins in the heart or mind as a thought.  So, when we pray, we should also ask for a clean heart and mind. (Psalm 51:10)  “We may not be all that we think we are, but what we think, we are.” (Author Unknown)

FOCUS ON CHRIST AND NOT ON OUR SITUATION

PROCLAMATION

“And Peter answered Him and said, ‘Lord, if it be Thou, bid me come unto Thee on the water.’  And He said, ‘Come.’  And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.  But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried saying, ‘Lord, save me!’  And immediately Jesus stretched forth His hand, and caught him, and said to him, ‘O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?’ ”  Matthew 14:28-31 (KJV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words are from the gospel, the good news regarding Jesus, The Christ, as recorded under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God according to the Apostle Matthew.  While Jesus, The Christ, was in His hometown, He heard that John the baptizer had been beheaded by King Herod. (Matthew 14:1-12)  He then withdrew by boat to a solitary place.  Crowds followed Him on foot around the lake.  When he reached the shore, He saw a large crowd.  He had compassion on them and healed the sick among them. (Matthew 14:13-14)  As evening approached, His disciples told Him to send the people away so that they could buy food for themselves.  Jesus told His disciples to feed them and they replied that they only had two small fish and five barley loaves of bread. (Matthew 14:15-17)  Jesus told them to tell the people to sit down and bring Him the fish and bread.  He blessed the fish and bread, broke them, and fed five thousand men plus their women and children.  They all ate until they were satisfied and there were twelve baskets full of left-over pieces. (Matthew 14:18-21) Then Jesus told His disciples to get into the boat and go back to the other side of the lake.  He dismissed the crowd and went up to a mountainside to pray.  Later that night, shortly before dawn, He walked on the water out to the boat. (Matthew 14:22-25)  When His disciples saw Him walking on the lake, they were afraid.  Jesus said to them, “Be of good cheer, it is I; be not afraid.” (Matthew 14:26-27)  That was when Peter said, “Lord, if it be You, bid me come unto You on the water.”  Peter walked on the water as long as he kept his focus on Christ.  However, when he took his eyes off of Christ and focused on the wind and waves around him, he began to sink. (Matthew 14:28-31)

 

APPLICATION

Christ is omnipotent and through Him we can do all things. (Philippians 4:13)  Our God is bigger than our problems.  He is more powerful than the storms of life that we face.  He can calm the storms, or give us the strength to go through them.  We will survive the storms of life as long as we believe and focus on Him, and not on the storms.

OFTEN OUR WISDOM IS NOT RESPECTED IN OUR OWN HOMES

PROCLAMATION

“And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, He departed thence.  And when He was come into His own country, He taught them in the synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, ‘Whence hath this man this wisdom …?’ ‘Is not this the carpenter’s son?’ …  And they were offended in Him.  But Jesus said unto them, ‘A prophet is not without honor save in his own country, and in his own house.’ ”   Matthew 13:53-57 (KJV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words are from the gospel, the good news regarding Jesus, The Christ, which were spoken by Christ according to the Apostle Matthew.  After Jesus had healed all of the sick people in the crowd that followed Him, and all those who were brought to Him, He left and went and sat by the lake.  A large crowd gathered around Him, so He got into a boat and sat in it while the people stood on the shore. (Matthew 13:1-2)  Then He told them about many things in parables, including the parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:3-9), the parable of the weeds (Matthew 13:23-30), the parables of the mustard seed and the yeast (Matthew 13:31-33), the parables of the hidden treasure and the pearl (Matthew 13:44-46), and the parable of the net. (Matthew 13:47-50)  After the people had left, He explained the parables to His disciples and told them why He spoke to the people in parables. (Matthew 13:10-17)  Then He left that town and went to His hometown and began teaching and preaching in the synagogue.  The people were amazed at His wisdom, but they questioned Him.  That was when He said, “A prophet is not without honor, save in his own country, and in his own house.” (Matthew 13:57)

 

APPLICATION

Our family and friends may love us, but because they know us, they frequently have difficulty accepting us as a wise and knowledgeable person (expert) on any subject.  Even when they know that we have been educated and trained, our wisdom is frequently questioned.  They will ask us for our opinion on something and then argue with us about it.  Do not let this bother you, the family of Jesus, The Christ, did not respect His wisdom or abilities.  Often those who are less familiar with our past are more likely to accept and respect our credentials, wisdom, knowledge, and opinions.  While this is not always the case, all too often we are more likely to be honored and respected by outsiders than we are by our own family members.  Don’t be discouraged, continue to study and gain wisdom and knowledge, and continue to share it with others because our goal is to be approved by The Lord God, not by man. (2 Timothy 2:15)

A GOOD TREE PRODUCES GOOD FRUIT

PROCLAMATION

“Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt; for the tree is known by his fruit.”  Matthew 12:33 (KJV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words are from the gospel, the good news regarding Jesus, The Christ, which were spoken by Christ according to the Apostle Matthew.  After Jesus invited them to believe in Him and offered them salvation, (Matthew 11:28) He declared Himself to be The Lord of The Sabbath. (Matthew 12:8)  He healed a man with a shriveled hand in the synagogue on the Sabbath. (Matthew 12:9-13)  Because of this, the Pharisees sought to kill Jesus. (Matthew 12:14)  He left that city and a great multitude followed Him and He healed all of the sick among them. (Matthew 12:15-17)  A demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Him and He healed him, and the man was able to talk and see. (Matthew 12:22)  Seeing this, some of the people thought that He was a Man of God, while the Pharisees said that He was a man of the devil, Beelzebub the prince of the devils. (Matthew 12:23-24)  Jesus refuted them by saying that a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand, devils would not drive out other devils. (Matthew 12:25-29)  He said, “He that is not with Me is against me…” (Matthew 12:30) Then Jesus went on to say that a good tree produces fruit good; and a bad tree produces bad fruit; for the tree is known by the fruit that it produces. (Matthew 12:33)  He said the same is true for a man. (Matthew 12:34-35)  Then Jesus, The Christ, said that men would be judged by every word that they speak.  By their words they will be justified or condemned. (Matthew 12:36-37)  Then Jesus predicted His death, burial, and resurrection. (Matthew 12:38-41)

 

APPLICATION

Whatever is in a man’s heart, that is what will come out of him.  A man with good things stored up within him will produce good.  A man with evil in his heart will produce that which is evil. (Matthew 12:35)  Jesus, The Christ, said, “Ye shall know them by their fruits.” (Matthew 7:16 and 12:33)  If we are saved, then we should produce the fruit of The Holy Spirit of God which is within us and that is: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance (self-control). (Galatians 5:22-23)  The fruit that we produce is visible to others and it is for the benefit of others.  If you are not happy with the fruit that you are producing, turn your life over to Christ and ask Him to change you.  He can create in you a clean heart and a right spirit (Psalm 51:10) and make you a new creature. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

COME TO CHRIST ALL WHO ARE WEARY AND BURDENED

PROCLAMATION

“Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”  Matthew 11:28-30 (KJV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words are from the gospel, the good news regarding Jesus, The Christ, which were spoken by Christ according to the Apostle Matthew.  After Jesus finished giving instructions to His disciples and sending them out to help the people, He went on teaching and preaching in the towns of Galilee. (Matthew 11:1)  He spoke about John, the baptizer, to the crowd and to John’s disciples. (Matthew 11:2-18)  Then Jesus denounced the towns in which He had performed miracles before the people but they did not repent. (Matthew 11:20-24)  Afterwards He prayed and spoke briefly about His relationship with God, The Father. (Matthew 11:25-27)  Then He invited all who labor and are burdened to come to Him, and He would give them rest.

 

APPLICATION

After clearing up the difference between John, the baptizer, and Himself, Christ issued a personal invitation to all of the people to individually accept Him and salvation for their souls.  His invitation “Come unto Me” is synonymous with “Believe in Me.”  Those who have not accepted His invitation are heavy-laden and burdened with sin, (Psalm 38:4) and they will suffer the penalty of sin. (Roman 6:33 and Revelation 20:15)  The only way to get out from under the burden of sin is through Jesus, The Christ.  Only Christ can cleanse us from our sins. (Psalm 51:1-2, 51:7, and 51:10)  This is an invitation to get to know Him personally.  He is gentle and humble of heart, and His commandments are not hard to do.  “O taste and see that The Lord is good; blessed is the man that trusted in Him.” (Psalm 34:8)  Jesus, The Christ, is the only way to salvation and eternal life and rest. (John 14:6)

 

 

ACKNOWLEDGE CHRIST AND HE WILL ACKNOWLEDGE YOU

PROCLAMATION

“Whosoever therefore shall confess Me before men, him will I confess also before My Father which is in heaven.  But whosoever shall deny Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father which is in heaven.”  Matthew 10:32-33 (KJV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words are from the gospel, the good news regarding Jesus, The Christ, as recorded under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God according to the Apostle Matthew.  After Jesus saw the multitudes that were following Him, He had compassion on them. (Matthew 9:36-38)  He gathered His disciples together, gave them the authority to heal the sick and to cast out demons. (Matthew 10:1-8)  He gave them instructions to govern their behavior, told them not to take any money or extra clothing, then He sent them out in pairs among the people. (Matthew 10:1-10)  Jesus told them to bless the homes of those who welcomed them. He told them that not everyone would welcome them and that some would hate them. (Matthew 10:11-22)  Jesus told them not to be afraid of those that hate them. (Matthew 10:26-28)  Then He told them how valuable they are to God, The Father. (Matthew 10:29-31)  He made it clear to them that whoever should deny Him before men, that He would deny them before His Father in heaven. (Matthew 10:32-33)  Jesus, The Christ, said anyone who welcomes them, welcomes Him, and anyone who welcomes Him, welcomes His Father who sent Him. (Matthew 10:40)  He also said that anyone who welcomes a prophet or a righteous man, even to just give him a drink of water, will be rewarded. (Matthew 10:41-42)

 

APPLICATION

There is a reward for openly confessing Christ, and there is a penalty for denying Him. (Matthew 10:32-33)  Christ will acknowledge us or disown us before God in heaven depending upon our acknowledgement of Him before men.  If we confess and believe we will be saved. (Romans 10:9-10)  This confession implies the receiving of His Holy Word (Mark 8:38), and the obeying of His commandments. (Luke 9:26)  Kindness shown to a man of God or to a righteous believer will be rewarded, even if the act of kindness is only a small seemingly insignificant act.  Therefore it is a good idea to practice random acts of kindness towards the people of God.  The world will know that we belong to Him by the way that we treat one another. (John 13:35)  No man has seen God but they see us, and He dwells within us and His love is perfected in us. (1 John 4:12)  When men see our good works and our acts of loving-kindness, they see the light of Christ within us and God will be glorified. (Matthew 5:16)

LABORERS FOR THE LORD GOD

PROCLAMATION

“Then saith He unto His disciples, ‘The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few.  Pray ye therefore The Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth laborers into His harvest.”  Matthew 9:37-38 (KJV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words are from the gospel, the good news regarding Jesus, The Christ, as recorded under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God according to the Apostle Matthew.  After He had calmed the storm and the boat had crossed over the lake, Jesus continued to heal the sick. (Matthew 9:1-8)  He raised the synagogue leader’s dead daughter (Matthew 9:18-26) and He healed the woman who had an issue of blood for twelve years. (Matthew 9:20-22)  He gave sight to two blind men. (Matthew 9:27-31)  He also cast out the demon from a demon-possessed man who could not talk and the man spoke. (Matthew 9:32-33)  After this, Jesus, The Christ, went through all the towns and villages, teaching in the synagogues, and healing every disease and sickness.  When he saw the multitudes that needed help, He had compassion on them and He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few.  Pray ye therefore The Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth laborers into His harvest.” (Matthew 9:37-38)

 

APPLICATION

There is plenty of work to be done when we are working for The Lord.  The question is, are we willing to work for God?  Jesus, The Christ, told His disciples to pray that God would send workers to help harvest the lost souls, then He sent them out to help the people. (Matthew 10:1)  Today, as believers, we are the disciples, the students, and the laborers of The Lord God.  We need to pray for the lost, but then we also need to be willing to help them and tell them about Christ and salvation.  While preachers are charged to do this, there is also work for the lay men and women to do using their time, talents, and treasures in service for The Lord God.  We are all part of the body of Christ and there is something for everyone in the church to do.  No one can tell your story, about what The Lord has done for you, better than you can.  Tell It!  We talk to a number of people daily, tell them about Jesus, The Christ.