MOTIVATE

A man went to see his doctor with much anxiety. He said, “Doctor, you have to help me. I’m dying.” The doctor responded, “What’s wrong?” The man began to unload: “Everywhere I touch it hurts. I touch my head, and it hurts. I touch my shoulders, and they hurt. When I press on my stomach, it aches. Feeling my knees causes pain. Even when I put my socks on and touch my feet, they begin to throb. I’m a wreck head to toe.” So, the doctor gave the man a complete examination. He begins, “I have good news and bad news for you. The good news is that you’re not dying. The bad news is that you have a broken finger.”

Sadly, a lot of people approach life in the same way. We assume the worst about people; circumstances spiral into disappointment; and our paranoia hits overdrive with every bit of bad news. And instead of taking a deep breath and evaluating realistically, everything we touch takes on a pessimistic perspective.

This was the case for some God-believers during the days of Jesus. Today’s message will help us remember the gospel, and help motivate us to relay the good news of Jesus around us.

EXAMINE

MATTHEW 11 Tell The Good News                      2 realities of Jesus’ Public Ministry

Challenging circumstances do not contradict God’s control.

² Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples ³ and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” ⁴ And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: ⁵ the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.

• John the Baptizer is a bit of a wild man mystery. He’s mentioned at Jesus’ birth… brief mention of his baptizing ministry in the desert. Then in the Gospel we hear John is in prison. Why? A few chapters later MT 14 we discern John was in prison bc he spoke publicly against an immoral politician. John believed that character mattered in leadership – including political leaders. Herod had taken his brother’s wife as his own, and John publicly called this out. There came a time when Herod’s new wife plotted to have John beheaded.
• Despite John’s circumstances, Jesus was performing many good deeds and mighty miracles. John was focused on what was not being done (in his perspective), but Jesus was focused on what was done.
  • Sickness treated / Disease cured / Disability healed / Paralysis reversed
  • Righteous poor are seen and served
  • Sinners reconciled and transformed
• Yet, John was confused at Jesus’ miracle-working ministry bc he was in prison. John’s expectations of Jesus were to right every wrong, including his own. John sent questions to Jesus bc of his doubts.
  • Questions > Accusations
• • Unmet expectations almost always result in frustration
• • Reasons
    • Experiential: something happened in past to create doubt
• • • Societal: heavy influences of culture that creates a bias
• • • Intellectual: something is unknown
  • Doubt should lead to discovery – asking questions, researching, studying, humbly learning & persevering. True doubt is simply being uncertain but open, whereas the opposite is disbelief, which is obstinate and inflexible – they don’t really want answers.
• Jesus responded to John’s doubt with
  • Tenderness. Jesus doesn’t scold or shoo John’s disciples away. Jesus is tender and willing to give a serious response.
• • Tangibility. Jesus talked to John’s disciples and then sent them back to talk to John.
    “Go and tell John what you hear and see. Jesus wanted John to have tangible feedback.
  • Theology. Jesus reaffirmed that he was the Christ/Messiah; the one to fulfill prophecy (Isa 29:18-19; 35:5-6; 61:1-2). Your life needs bedrock foundation theology to sustain.

Humanity doubts faith for at least 3 reasons: experiential (something negative happened), societal (cultural influence creating bias), and intellectual (something unknown). And Jesus responds to doubt in 3 comparable ways: tenderness, tangible help, theological answers. And Jesus’ brother aids our thinking about fellow strugglers of doubt: “have mercy on those who doubt; save them by snatching them out of the fire; show mercy with fear; hating even the garment stained by the flesh. Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.” (Jude 1:22-25)

Faithful followers of Jesus do not stumble over God’s principles.

⁶ And blessed is the one who is not offended by me. ⁷ As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? ⁸ What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. ⁹ What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. ¹⁰ This is he of whom it is written, “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.” ¹¹ Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

• Jesus told John’s disciples: And blessed is the one who is not offended by me. IOW, we can allow our circumstances or unfulfilled expectations to turn us away or toward God. Jesus was commending John, knowing that he was a true prophet.
  • John was not a reed shaken in the wind. He stood firm with convictions.
• • John was not dressing in soft, luxurious clothing. He was sacrificial and bold in faith.
• • John was a prophet, preparing the way of the Lord.
  • John died. If John had lived, it likely meant he was overwhelmed by doubt and recanted his convictions. However, John’s death reveals his faith not stumbling.

APPLY/TAKEAWAY

Today, we show that we believe our circumstances don’t contradict control and that we don’t stumble over God’s principles with our testimony.

We praise God and express gratefulness for what He has done; not groan over what we want Him to do.

Psalm 103:2 “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not his benefits.”

>> Our challenge is to continue growing godly generations… SPBC 66 years

>> ORANGE CARD to write an expression of gratitude for the Lord’s impact in your life through SPBC

Romans 12:11-12 “Do not be slothful in zeal; be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer”

>> Challenge Response

There’s a story of a young college student. She wanted to be an author or some sort of writer. She loved to read stories whether fiction or biography, which inspired her own writing. But as you can imagine, the young student often got what is known as “writer’s block.”

Writer’s block is the cloud that hovers inside your head with fog and fuzzy thinking. Like any profession, the inner critic gets loud and doubt creeps in to become the dominant voice.  The uncertainty and cloudy thinking makes one feel like an imposter and to give up their dream.
But this student had loving parents and taught her how to overcome these doubts. Her father reassured the daughter that she’s loved no matter what, and how that love should fuel her to dream big and take each day as a fresh start. Her mom decided to utilize the cloud imagery. She said, “Daughter, when those clouds start to settle in your head, envision the sky turning dark, very dark. (Ok mom?!?) Imagine the wind increasing with that eerie feeling of what’s next to come (Really, Mom?!?). And then visualize those clouds opening with the fastest and heaviest rain drops you’ve ever seen. Can you hear the rain? Can you feel the wind? Can you see the storm? Good, now you know the clouds are just the seeds for something powerful and impactful.”

>> Where are you tempted to give up but God is saying “Look up”?
Discouragement & doubt can wall us in but cannot roof us over. Look up child, your Heavenly Father loves you. Lean in to your Savior who is shepherding you thru every valley. And listen to the Spirit’s voice providing clarity & faith that God’s steadfast love is faithful & forever.