Automated Transcript:

Good evening. I think we’re on now. Are we on now? Okay. We are in Luke chapter seven. Turn me up just a little bit. It seems quiet. Okay. We are in Luke chapter seven. We’re going to begin at verse 36 this evening. So go ahead. Be turning over there. Let’s get started with a word of prayer,

our gracious heavenly father. We thank you for all that you do for us on a daily basis. We’re grateful for your care and your concern. We’re grateful for all of the many blessings that you shower upon us. We are mindful of all of the things in this life and all of the freedoms that we have in this country. That mean that we are so blessed to be where we are to live,

where we are, to have the freedom that we have to worship you to assemble together without fear of persecution. And we pray that that will continue to be case for many, many, many years to come. We pray for our country and the difficult time she’s going through. And we pray for its leadership at the local level and at the state level,

at the national level, that the choices they make will be beneficial for your kingdom and beneficial for those who are members and citizens of this country. And also those around the world. We ask that you forgive each and every one of us when we sin and fall short of your glory and are willing to repent of those things. And we pray that we might daily seek to become closer to you and live closer to you each and every day.

All this we pray in Jesus name. Amen. Luke chapter seven One to first of all, I guess I should start here. Oh, I know it should start here. I want to say thank you to Michael for filling in on short notice with the first part of Luke seven, just, just a reminder to everybody. If you don’t feel good,

don’t be here. And I didn’t feel good. I felt really bad and I feel much better now. And I’m glad for that. And thankfully it wasn’t COVID so chapter seven of Luke, one thing to remember as you’re dealing with Luke’s writing is unlike the book of acts where the things that Luke writes in the book of acts are in chronological order. He goes from the beginning of the time,

right after Jesus is, is resurrected. And he ascends back into heaven, goes from that point and goes not year by year there’s, there’s a number of jumps in there, but he goes progressively through the history of the early church. But in the book of Luke, he doesn’t do that. The, the history that he records in the book of Luke is more a history by an event and telling a,

a story for a particular reason or rehearsing a piece of information about Jesus’ life for a particular reason, because as Luke introduces at the beginning of the book, many other records of Jesus’ life have already been written, okay. His purpose is not to do what Matthew did and give an account of Jesus’ life from beginning to end. Instead, his goal was to give this particular Theopolis to whom he is writing a better understanding of Jesus’ taking the things that were already known,

had already been written, but delving more deeply into Jesus in other areas, in talking about other things. And so he takes events, not necessarily chronic low chronological order. They’ll those events may be covered in the other books in chronological order. He takes other events and brings them together to convey a message, to convey a thought to declare something. Of course,

all of this inspired by the Holy spirit. So there’s distance<inaudible> there’s there’s debate as to chapter seven 36 through verse 50, is this an event that occurs and happens in the second year of Jesus’ ministry connected to the prior part of the chapter prior part of the chapter and the events of it? Yeah. And everything we’re studying right now. And this,

this part of the material is all part of Jesus’s second year of his ministry. And some will discuss this section and go, well, it’s it belongs here. Yeah. Obviously the people who put together the material we’re going through Bible study guide for all ages believes that this, this belongs in this timeframe. That’s why we’ve jumped from the sermon on the Mount over into Luke is because this is all second year of Jesus’ ministry activities.

Okay. So they believe this is part of the second year, not a similar account. Also not Luke’s version of a similar account found in John and in Matthew about the woman who comes in in Bethany and annoyance Jesus. The week of his betrayal, I tend to disagree. I believe this is Luke’s account of that event placed here for Luke’s reason for it being here.

But if you agree differently as, as the people who wrote this material, do I’m fine with that. There’s, there’s nothing that holds it down to that level of specificity. But I think, again, my opinion that this and John 12 are the same event. If they’re not, then by all means that that is perfectly fine, but that’s just my opinion.

And the fact that it’s here and that is my opinion, gave me an opportunity to talk about the chronology of Luke as you’re reading through it. And you go, well, wait a minute, Matthew has that way over here. And Luke’s got it right up here. Don’t be confused, Luke, doesn’t write in chronological order. So that’s just all for that purpose.

So you understand that verse 36, then one of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him. One of the Pharisees comes to Jesus and asked him to come and, and eat dinner with him, come to a feast, come and gather at his house. And he went to the Pharisee’s house and sat down to eat and behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner when she knew that Jesus out of the table in the Pharisee’s house,

brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil and stood at his feet behind him weeping. And she began to wash his feet with her tears and wipe them with the hair of her head. And she kissed his feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. And when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he spoke to himself saying this man, if he were a prophet,

would know who and what manner of woman this is, who is touching him for. She is a sinner. Okay. Couple of key things as we go through here, first and foremost, Jesus is invited into this man’s house house. In first century times when someone else is brought into your house, you were expected to not just feed them. It was part of the Jewish culture and part of the Jewish tradition that you would go above and beyond goes all the way back to the time of Abraham.

When Abraham had those who visited him and he not only went out and pled with them to come in and at with him and to stay with him and her allow him to give them some food before they traveled on, but he went above and beyond. He served them. He stood aside as they ate. He showed himself to be hospitable. In addition,

when you would have someone who was a teacher in your house, a rabbi, you were considered to have that much more responsibility to show them respect, to treat them with honor and to be hospitable. So as we get into this, one of the things that Jesus is going to draw into his response is the contrast of the act that the woman has versus the Pharisee.

The<inaudible> you think concerning the events are transpiring. If this is in the second year, as, as it’s been placed in the material, then the Pharisees at this time are watching Jesus. They are looking for opportunities to accuse him of wrongdoing. They are looking for opportunities to say he broke the law, he violated this or that thing over here, they’re looking for and paying close attention to anything that they could use to accuse him because he’s becoming popular.

You remember at the end of chapter seven of Matthew, one of the things we read over in Matthew chapter seven, and this is kind of one of those key indicators that Matthew puts in there verse 28. And so it was when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at his teaching for. He taught them as one having a 40 and not as the scribe,

there will be events that transpire in this timeframe where people will be sent to listen to Jesus and to accuse Jesus. And then we’ll come back and say, nobody ever taught like this man teaches that there will be the crowds and the people having an impression that this is not just another rabbi. And this is not just another scribe. And this is not just another one.

Like we’ve always known because remember saved John the Baptist. There had been no prophet in Israel from the time of Malakai until now. So John being the exclusion and what happened when John came on the scene,<inaudible> John went city to city teaching everywhere, right? No. Where did John go? He went out in the wilderness specifically where he went to the Jordan.

Why did he go there? It was wilderness. And there was much water. And what was he doing to the people? Baptizing them. For what reason?<inaudible> For repentance for the forgiveness of sins. So John stands as an anomaly to all the other teachers to begin with. Okay. John is his present bef prior to this time, and John has been out teaching and John has been drawing all Israel.

We’re told people from all Israel came to hear John and the only people he didn’t want to come were the Pharisees. When they showed up, he said, who called you? Who invited you? You brood of Vipers. You snakes. All right, John and the Pharisees didn’t get along. So they’ve already got one person that they don’t like, who’s on the scene.

And they’ve already got one person who they’re trying to get popularity and visibility diminished. And then after that, he says, no, no, no, no, no. John does. I’m not the one you’re looking for. I’m not the Messiah. I, I’m not the one to follow. I’m the one who’s here to point out the Messiah. And then he does exactly that.

He says behold, the lamb of God and points them to Jesus. While now they’ve gone from having one person who’s more popular than they are to two people who are more popular than they are. And that’s beginning to be a problem for the Pharisees and for the teachers. So all of this is kind of encapsulated in the attitude with which the Pharisee who invited to dinner,

didn’t show him the respect and the hospitality that was common and expected. Okay. This would have been as if you get invited over to dinner and the normal procedure is, Hey, take your coat off, leave your shoes at the door, have a comfortable seat. Dinner will be served. Come on, you know, come to the table, you sit this in this place.

This is where, where our guests at. You get all this attention when you come over to dinner at somebody’s house. And, and instead, the kind of the idea here is in modern terms, you’ll walk in. Nobody tells you where to put your coat. You’re just told to leave it on. You know, go sit over there. That’s the contrast of attitudes because the Pharisees are not happy with Jesus.

Now I’m going to throw in one tidbit here. That is important in my mind, if this passage is a parallel passage to John, John 12, okay. And that is verse 40. And Jesus answered and said to him, Simon, I have something to say to you. So he said, teacher, say it. Now the Simon here is not CFUs.

It’s not, it’s not Simon. Peter, who is Simon. The Pharisee. Now go over to John chapter 12 real quick. And again, this is, if these are parallel passages, if I’ll leave it at that, it either they either are or aren’t. But if they are, this is a really, really interesting tidbit. Then six days before the Passover,

Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, who had been dead, whom he had raised from the dead there. They made him a supper and Martha served him. But Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with him. Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spike, Nard, anointed, the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair.

And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil, but one of his disciples, Judas, Iscariot, and I believe this is the only time in all of scripture where Judas, his father’s name has mentioned. What is Judas? His father’s name? Simon. They’re in the house of a Pharisee And his name is Simon. And by all indications,

if these are parallel passages, it is Judases fathers House. Okay. Okay. And a few days later. Yeah. Again, if they’re parallel passages, if, if this event is the same thing, it will be a few days later that Simon or sorry, Judas BARR, Simon, son of Simon will betray Jesus to the chief Breeze. So go back to Luke chapter seven.

Yes. So one of the things that we find out in a third passage is Mary is one who at one point was had demons. Okay. So if you take that, so we, we learned that in the third passage, if you take that and this, you put together the fact that while she was demon possessed, she was doing things that had categorized her as a sinner.

Okay. And her actions, which would not have been uncommon if someone was, was demon possessed were things that she would not have done. Had she not been possessed by a demon, but that doesn’t mean that anybody around her and certainly Pharisees would have treated her any differently. Having done those things, even though she was demon possessed. So that’s a tidbit that,

again, it’s in a third location, but we were specifically told that Mary was demon possessed, which by the way also gives you kind of that. Oh, that’s why Mary is so attached to Jesus every time in every passage that we read about her focus, her attention is always on Jesus. Well, if she had been demon possessed and he cast the demons out,

what do you think her reaction would be? What do you think her, you know, Martha might have some question about, you know, certain things and have her attention on other things, but not Mary Mary. And by the way, all right, let me throw this one thing in there. If Martha is one who believes Jesus to be the Messiah,

but has gone through life normally as just a Jew, who’s learning the truth. Who knows who Jesus is and is close to Jesus. But Mary was at one point demon possessed and doing things that she, that were sinful as a result of that, do you not have, as we’re about to read a sinner with a lower level degree of sin in,

in the sense of the story we’re about to get into and one with a great amount of sin. Okay. So these are all just interesting tidbits as we get into this story, Jesus is about to give, but one last thing. So yes, I believe if these are parallel passages, that it is Mary who’s described here as a center that she was before Jesus cast the demons out from her one who was living as a harlot,

because that’s kind of the indication of the text is this is a woman who was a, it’s not just a woman who sinned at some time in the past. This is a woman who is a sinner that would have been common vernacular for one who had been a hard one. Okay. So, okay. By the way, another reason why, if she had demons,

if those demons had been cast out, not only her whole family’s attachment to Jesus Lazarus, Mary Martha, all three, but also the reason why before the disciples have ever even gotten to the point where they realize he’s the Messiah there, they know that they have no doubts and yet the disciples are still questioning things. Also, why is Mary at the tomb of Jesus?

First thing in the morning, Sunday morning, it, all of these things are all tidbits of information. That line up perfectly, if this is the case. Okay? But one last thing that I wanted to mention from verse 39. Now, when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he spoke to himself. I want to, I want to point out something.

This response by Jesus is to an unstated Thought, okay, Much like it was the case. Back when Jesus was there in the house and the men climbed up on the roof and took the roof off and lowered the man in to be healed. And Jesus said, your sins are forgiven you and the Pharisees reasoned within themselves. How good can anyone, but God forgives sins.

And Jesus answers their argument out loud as if they had made it, but they never made it. Simon. Doesn’t say a word he’s watching. But he’s thinking if this man knew Who this person was, who’s touching him. He wouldn’t let her touch him To mind. Two things. Number one, the rabbis perspective towards women, most rabbis in the first century in that time period would not even speak to a woman in public would have no dialogue with a woman in public,

let alone allow a woman to touch them in public. Okay. Secondly, if you look at this from the Ferris scenic perspective of the legalism of a Pharisee, If a Woman has been involved in that, which is on godly sinful, if she’s a sinner, if she is unclean and anything, that’s unclean touches you, you become what on claim. And so the mindset is if he knew that this woman is a sinner,

if he knew the type of woman, this is, and that he as a rabbi would become unclean by her touching him, he’d never let her do it. Okay? All of these pieces are tied up into this context. And Jesus responds to this unstated thought to the thing that he stated to himself, but not out loud. Simon, I have something to say to you.

So he said, teacher say it, there was A certain creditor who had two debtors, one owed 500 denarii and the other 50. So what’s the, what’s the separation between the two, a multiple of what? Okay. One owed 500 and the other owed 50, a multiple of 10. All right. 10 X Separation between the two, one,

a huge debt and one, a smaller debt. But Jesus adds another factor. And when they had nothing with which to repay, okay, detail here that matters the man with the small debt smaller, could he repay the debt? No. Okay. He has a debt. He Can not pay. The other man has a much larger debt. Is he any more capable of paying?

No. You have two people, both of whom have a debt. They can’t Can not pay. Okay. That’s an incredibly important aspect of the story because we really, That at least in A regular sense, there is a difference between one sin and another. Not all sins are equal, right? Because if I say something mean to you, that’s on toward and unkind.

That’s sinful bloody. If I murder you Also sinful, but it’s not anywhere close to the same kind of sin. Isn’t we recognize there’s a difference. But For the one sin that I committed by being unkind and unthoughtful in my speech and in my statements towards you, do I have the ability to repay that sin and get, make it be forgiven by God can hold on.

Can I, by my actions alone, not through grace, not through mercy. Can I get, can I repay the debt of that sin? No. Okay. It is a debt. Any sin is a debt. I cannot pay on my own. Now here’s this great sin over here. I, I murdered you. Instead of saying something unkind to you,

I killed you. Is that a debt? I can pay no two different debts, but neither of them Can I repay on my own? Here’s a Pharisee. Do you think he knows that he’s sinned at any point in time in his life? Sure. Even Paul who’s the Pharisee of farracies in his Pharisaical upbringing knew that he couldn’t keep the law perfectly.

And he says as much in Romans chapter seven, with his mind, he desired to keep the law and yet failed to this Pharisee knows he’s not perfect, but in the mind of a Pharisee, he ain’t like that woman. He’s not a sinner. He’s just somebody who sin. That woman is a sinner. Now, do we see a problem with the thought process?

Careful, because sometimes we’re guilty of it. Sometimes we see a person sitting in the Pew doing the best they can, and it services every week. And, and being a person who’s reliant upon the grace of God and the forgiveness of God to cleanse their sins. And we think that’s a good person. And then we see someone out in the world who’s messed up,

trashed up and, and just in the gutter. And we think that’s a center. And sometimes in our mind, we forget the person sitting in the Pew is no more capable of paying for their own sins. Then that person is, We Need this reminder too, because sometimes we get the mindset that that person would hear the gospel and that person never would,

but that’s just simply not true because here’s the perfect example. Simon answered and said, I suppose the one whom he for gay more, did I reverse? I don’t think I finished verse 42. And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely for gave them both tell me, therefore, which of them will love him more. Okay. So the one who has the,

the, the, the creditor who has two debtors, one, he forgives a great amount and an astronomical amount by way of, of that day on money. And this other one, he forgives a significant amount, but the point is neither one of them could have paid it. And he forgives them both. And Jesus wants to know from Simon, which one would love the creditor more,

the one to whom he forgave a small amount or the one to whom he four gave a great about. And Simon says, I suppose the one whom he four gave more. And he, Jesus said to him, Simon, you have right Leigh judged. Then he turned to the woman and said, now here’s a phrase for you. This is Luke.

This, this is, this is just, this is the epitome of Luke’s writing. He describes it with such eloquence. He turns to the woman Jesus does and speaks to Simon. Notice that he doesn’t speak speaking to the woman. He turns to the woman and said to Simon, do you see this woman? I entered your house. You gave me no water for my feet.

What did they commonly wear in that day in time, footwear sandals. And it was nice paved roads. And all of it was cleaned every night with a street sweeper, right? No, they walked on what kind of paths? Third, have you ever worn sandals and walked on a dirt path? What is the end result? Dirty feet. It was common when you came into a house to have someone there,

even a servant to wash the people’s feet as they came in. And yet Simon didn’t do that. He said, do you see this woman? I entered your house. You gave me no water for my feet, but she has washed my feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. You gave me no kiss, the common greeting of the day,

but this woman has not seized to kiss my feet. Since the time I came in, you did not anoint my head with oil, but this woman has anointed my feet with fragrant oil. Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many are forgiven for, she loved much, but to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little. Then he said to her,

your sins are forgiven.<inaudible> Is Jesus saying that this woman by her actions, by the deeds, which she did to him, the kindness she showed to him is Jesus saying that by her actions she’s earned her forgiveness. No. Okay. Jesus is setting a contrast between this woman’s actions and Simon’s actions. And while Simon views her as this great center,

She’s not okay. Oh, she may have been in the past, but she’s not. She’s a debtor whose debt has been paid. And as a result, she is showing by her actions. The love that she has for the one who paid the debt and Simon as one. Now let’s say you mentioned this one more time. If Simon is Judases father,

if he is, if it’s a parallel passage with John, with John, John 12, and if that text draw to draw those two things drawn together as proper, then the Simon know who Jesus is. Sure did. Peter’s mother-in-law know who Jesus was. Sure. Oh, by the way, if these two passages are parallel, who’s sitting right there too.

Hazaras is if this is a repair, if this is a parallel passage, does Ironman know who Jesus is? That evidence is sitting at the table. There’s a man who was dead and in the tomb for three days. And you sitting at the Table, Simon is not a fair ASEE who just ran into Jesus and invited him to dinner. Simon though,

is a Pharisee who is not treating Jesus with the respect. He would have treated any of the other Pharisee Teachers. And Jesus is allowing this woman’s actions to draw out that Simon’s actions towards God Are not what they should have been. Even if he was a sinner who only needed to be forgiven Little, he still wasn’t doing what he should’ve done. He wasn’t acting the way he should have acted then.

And those who sat at the table with him began to say for themselves, who is this who even forgives sins. So we’re not told, and this was by the way, this was common. Someone who’s prominent in the city has a big feast. Notable people are in the city. They get invited, but there’s, there’s more than that. There’s more than that around.

If this is again, John chapter 12, then the 12 disciples are there to Lazarus is there to Martha’s serving food. Mary’s there too. And probably others from the city. Maybe other acquaintances of Lazarus are there too. If not, we at least know that in this context alone, if this is a separate event, that there are others present. And again,

you get this perspective Who is this that can forgive sins. That is, Is such an anomaly because even the prophets didn’t Say such things, okay? You wouldn’t have Isaiah walking through the streets, telling someone your sins are forgiven. You okay? That, that just wasn’t going to happen. Why? Because that was a function of God. John would say repent and be baptized for the remission of sins,

but not, Hey, you come here. You’re forgiven. Okay, John, wasn’t doing that either. This is an anomaly and they’re seeing it as such. Then he said to the woman, so now he he’s the reaction of the people. The reaction of those present is who is this, that forgives sins. And he says to the woman, your faith Has saved you.

Not the crying, not the wiping, not the oil, not the cost of the oil, none of that, But her faith and always with Jesus. And even in the story, even In the example he provides, it is a faith tied Action. The one who’s forgiven, the greater debt. Does he, the creditor who forgave his debt more?

Yes. Then how would he show it by actions? And the whole story is an account of someone who showed no actions Of recognition And admiration and respect and honor and hospitality, and one You showed love instead. So chapter eight, Verse one, we read now it came to pass afterward that he went through every city and village preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God.

And the 12 were with him and, and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities. Mary called Magdalene out of whom had come seven demons and Joanna, the wife of Chusa Herod’s steward and Susanna, and many others who provided for him from their substances here. You’ve got a list of other who are involved in Jesus’ ministry by providing For him,

but they’re not the disciples. The disciples are traveling around with him. The disciples are going with him day in and day out. And someone is providing for them. Someone’s giving them money and food and, and stuff, Substance. And we find out that A nucleus of that, a nexus of that is A group of women. The people that the rabbis would have shunned Nord were the people who were Doing what needed to be done to keep Jesus and his disciples going throughout the city.

He’s teaching and preaching. So Just an interesting tidbit here in chapter eight, that here you have these women who are involved in all ways through, throughout the new Testament and throughout, especially Jesus’ ministry, you see women being Key characters, Key individuals in the life of Christ in the life of, and the existence of the church in the early first century.

Many times you have women who are described, who are doing incredible things and serving in incredible ways. And I dare say, there’s, if there are, Are any that I, that aren’t coming to mind, there are very few times in all of scripture and especially in the new Testament where any woman is spoken of in a negative sense, without there also being a husband or a man spoken of in a negative sense as well.

For instance, an and Safira, you know, they together are spoken of in a negative sense because of their negative deeds, but quite often you have these highlights of women and their actions in these texts. There’s chapter seven and chapter eight. Let’s go through the questions real quick. And then we will be done at whose house was Jesus eating. When the woman washed his feet with her tears,

Simon, the Pharisee, the Pharisee who invited Jesus, a washed his feet, be poured oil on his head. C kissed him, D fed him, fed him not true of the woman who washed Jesus’ feet was that she a was a faithful Jew, be anointed. His feet with perfume, see wet his feet with her tears, or di she wiped his feet with her hair.

Hey, she was not a faithful Jew. What did Jesus say had saved her, her faith? Isn’t it interesting. She’s she’s not described as a faithful Jewish she’s described as a center and yet it was her faith that saved her. Yes or no. Did the Pharisee thing that Jesus should let the sinful woman wash his feet? No. In Jesus story about the money lender who did or excuse me,

what did the money lender do about the two debtors who owed him money for gave them mode, which debtor loved the money lender more? The one who was forgiven the most, a person with many sins loves Jesus a little, or be much when he is forgiven of them be how were Jesus and the 12 apostles supported during Jesus’ ministry. All right. Women all the way up to those within the very house of Herod supported him in his and his disciples in their ministry.

Okay. Thank you for your attention. I don’t have too many announcements tonight, but I want to conduct a little bit of a survey with the congregation here about, about our mask wearing. So let me just run through this. First of all, welcome to the Collierville church of Christ Wednesday evening, worships, right? I’ll just call it a Bible study.

And I’m also a devotional are sick that we need to remember Rodale and Dorothy Wilson with their chronic problem. Dorothy, with her high blood pressure, Joan Springer is still suffering from the headaches that she has and also just being very, very weak. Janie Marlin is doing much better. In fact, she spent the night with Francis, I guess it was Friday night or Saturday,

Saturday night, Sunday night, Sunday night. Okay. And lucky Hanks thank is doing much better with his pacemaker. So these folks we really need to keep in our prayers. And also Noah Olson. He is recovering from COVID he’s the student that we are temporarily supporting over in the school of preaching. And I guess he is probably he’ll be back Sunday. Is he going to class?

Okay, so he’s doing better. Okay, great. And Barbara Dillard, we announced that she had a procedure on her shoulder. Her arm is still immobilized and she’s in a, quite a bit of pain with that. So need to keep Barbara in our prayers to what I was referring to about the mask there. As you know, there was a men’s business meeting Monday night,

and someone had suggested we bring the mask wearing up and consider the fact that everyone needed to perhaps wear a mask. And even while we were singing, we discussed that like noses, all of us have an opinion about that. And it’s Okay. A whole, every, like I say, everyone has an opinion and we all differ a little bit on that.

We have operated now for several months with the idea that if you’re not feeling well, don’t come to church and risk contaminating the whole church building with it. That may not be the smartest thing in the world, but there’s a lot of different ways. We can probably approach this continue as we are. This building will hold approximately 400 people and we rarely have more than 50 in attendance.

In fact, since this COVID has hit, I would dare say we’ve been over 40 maybe once or twice through the summer. But my point being, we got plenty of rooms, plenty of room to scatter out. And Eric has taken the time and trouble to put some little blue tape marks on the pews that are every other Pew, which gives us approximately the six feet that they recommend that we stay separated.

If we are uncomfortable with the distance, there’s nothing wrong with this moving four or five fuse up the way. And that will be taken care of. We Can wear a mask even while we’re singing. I think our singing is going to be a little bit hampered and I just want to get a reaction from, from the congregation here. What do you all think?

Does anybody have an idea?<inaudible> Well, if we’re going to chastise people singing, I probably need to stay home, but I hear you. I hear you on that. Any other, I know Eric has pretty strong feeling about this. He thinks we’ve operated. I think fine the way it is and the masks are not required.<inaudible> That is a very logical,

I do think that the cases are becoming more and more frequent here in Shelby County. And we’re probably getting to the point where we’re experiencing the peak in, in this Terry’s he’s had it. So he’s home free.<inaudible> Okay. Well, okay.<inaudible> But with that high percentage rate comes a greater possibility that you’re probably going to be exposed to it.

I guess what I’d like to see a show of hands. Terry has got a very logic to me. The times that we all violate the six foot clearance rule there is when we come through the four year and we’re coming to her seat, we stand a lot of times after the service is over and talk to one another and people have to squeeze by us because we,

the hall or the ILS here are made to talk in. Right. So anyway, could I see a show where the hands of people that think we ought to wear the mask the entire time we’re in the building? How about a show of the hands that we stay, where we are and just press on, well now let me count. This is going to be close.<inaudible> That was about 13 or so.

How about those that would feel like we ought to wear them as we come through the door, wear them to our seats, like Terry suggested, take the mask off, make sure we have the six foot separation other than within our own families and put them on. When we get up to exit the building, how many people feel that way? Anybody want to change your mind?<inaudible> Well,

I knew this was going to be kind of a, kind of a wishy-washy Morrissey thing to do, but I guess if it bothers you wear the mask<inaudible> Well, thank you for that, that input. I would like to kind of second that another thing that I really, really would like to express and how much everyone in the congregation here kind of does their share,

picks up their load and looks after the, for instance, with Francis, I think almost everyone in the congregation has at least called her or touch base with her to see if they could do anything. That really means a lot. And it means a lot to everybody watching as well. And just the daily administration of the church here, everyone is pretty well doing,

doing their job. And I do appreciate that. It sure does make the men’s oversight or what did they didn’t oversight. But the men’s trying to keep a lid on things so much easier when people are so cooperative. That’s all I have<inaudible> Later will be Michael Dale. Aaron has the devotional and Terry Sanderson has the closing prayer<inaudible> Because I didn’t get to hit you up before I wanted to ask all y’all for prayers.

One of my supporters and dear friends, he is 72 years old, found out Monday that he has COVID. He passed out on his living room floor and had to be rushed to the emergency room where he had emergency surgery to remove eight blood clots in his lungs and is now fighting for his life because of COVID in the hospital. So yeah, the blood clots were caused.

They said by COVID. So I don’t know how that works, but just keep him in your prayers. His wife is 74 and I don’t know what she’s going to do if she loses him. So they, they really need a lot of prayers right now. They’re their family. All right. Our song before the devotional will be number 560 living by faith five,

six. I care. Not today. Tomorrow may bring if shadow or sunshine or Ray and the Lord. I know, rule Thor, every thing. And all of my worry is living by faith. Hey Jesus, I’m trusting.<inaudible> I’m living by<inaudible>. Our Lord will return to this. There are some sweet hay or troubles. Well then I’ll be<inaudible> the masters.

So Jen Lee will lead us way beyond that. Blessed<inaudible> living by faith. Hey, in Jesus.<inaudible> in his great<inaudible> living by faith. Hey,<inaudible> he word, please? Mark song number 907 heart. The gentle voice. That’ll be the song Of invitation number nine, zero seven, Michael. What’s the name of that family? The Phillips family are the ones who he mentioned that are dealing with the husband in the hospital and the blood clots.

So keep the Phillips family in your mind. And in your prayers, Luke chapter five, we read beginning in verse 29, then Levi, who we also know as Matthew gave him a great feast in his own house. Jesus has called Matthew to be one of his disciples to follow him. And we read concerning Levi, Matthew getting up from his tax collector’s to follow Jesus.

So by all indications, he was a man of, of wealth. He at least has his own house and can’t afford to throw this great feast in Jesus’ honor. And there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them and their scribes and Pharisees complained against his disciples saying, why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?

They’re astounded That Jesus would sit down, would share a meal with wood fellowship, With tax collectors, Who were known to be thieves who were known to be dishonest, who were known as the worst. Not only because some of them were thieves, but because they worked with the wrong And government and centers, Jesus answered and said to them, those who are well,

have no need of the physician, but those who are Sick, Jesus said his reason for interacting with these people, these people who would have been shunned by the scribes would have been shunned by the Pharisees. Instead he interacts with them and he says, the reason is because sinners need A physician. Those who are sick, need a doctor. And that’s why He goes on to say,

I have not come to call the rights. Yes, but sinners to repentance, all of us are grateful when We have need of a physician. When we have need of, as some of us, at times a surgeon, we are all grateful to have access Says to such a person. And yet Jesus makes it clear. Sinners Above anyone who is sick with a physical disease,

even a life-threatening one, every sinner Needs a physician. Every sinner needs a savior Because while a disease might kill you, sin will dam you to an eternal hell. And so Jesus would set aside these peoples Past for their future and teach them How to be something they had never been before, not a keeper of the law, but one who was righteous and one who could have hope and trust and faith and grace through the blood of Jesus Christ.

Every one of us at some point in our lives will be one who is lost and needs a physician. If you’re in that condition tonight, the only physician who can heal you from sin is Jesus Christ. The only physician who can save your soul and change your destiny, eternally is Jesus Christ. So who is your doctor that can heal you from the real plague that persists in the life of humanity?

Because Christ is the only, and the good physician you have need of that salvation. Whether you’re outside the body of Christ and need to enter into it, having heard the word of the gospel and having believed that Jesus Christ is the son of God. You can repent of your sins. Change your course of life. Confess the name of Christ and be immersed in water for the remission of your sins.

Having those sins washed away, never to be held accountable to them again, and rise to walk in newness of life, living the life of a forgiven person. But if you’re a person who was forgiven in the past and you’ve walked away from that, and you’ve begun again to live in sin and serve on righteousness, you too can return a Christian who’s returned to sin,

can repent and seek the prayers of the church and repentive something that is public. And before given publicly, no matter your situation, as we all have care and concern about a virus that can kill a person. The greatest concern we have is sin and salvation. If you have need of the invitation, why not come now as we stand and as we sing,

Jen told boys 17<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Let us pray. Father in heaven, we thank you for this time to come together as your children to study that word, we pray private. We will all be safe on my way home and be safe everywhere we go, keep her safe from the virus, or you pray that you would forgive us when we do wrong.

Where you thank you for the teachers here at Chi. Well, we pray that they will have a long and useful life in your service. We pray that you would be with those that are sick from the virus and others that have other illnesses in our congregation, pray that you would be with them and be with those that are taken care of them. Pray to keep us safe.

Do we meet again in crash name? We pray. Amen.

Automated Transcript:

<inaudible> Oh, my own. It’s hot. Let’s begin this morning with a prayer. Our father in heaven, how awesome and glorious you are. We thank you so much that we have this time to come together and study your word. And we ask that we glean as much as we can from it. So we are able to use it not only to further our own spirituality,

but to bring those that are lost you this time, Lord, we ask that you be with those that are out sick and, and dealing with multiple problems, those that are dealing with surgeries and with pain. And we ask that you be with the Cozort family, dealing with a sickness right now and help them to, to come to a complete health.

And, or we thank you for your son who died on that cross sends in your son’s name. Amen. Okay. So we’re doing Luke chapter seven. I believe it’s one through 35 and chapter seven, one through 35. And this First section of Luke chapter seven verses one through 10 is the healing of the Centurion service verse one. Now, when he had entered all his or when he had ended all his things and the audience of the people he entered into Capernaum,

it is good to note here that at this time, Palestine was under the control of Roman government and such being the case. It would not have been unusual to find a band of Roman soldiers in the area. It is possible that this incident is that this incident here in Luke seven, one through 10 is identical to that in Matthew chapter eight, verses five through 13,

there are some speculations that they’re two different stories, not stories that they’re two different historical accounts, but for the most part, people believe that this is identical to Matthew eight, five through 13 verse two, and a certain Centurion servant who was dear unto him, was sick and ready to die. A Centurion here. There are at least eight centurions mentioned in the new Testament.

And every one of them is spoken of in favorable light. And you never hear of a Centurion being spoken of in a bad light. He’s always someone that people look up to and does good things is also worthy of remark that in no case, is there the slightest hint that the profession of a soldier is unlawful in the sight of God. There’s nothing in the Bible that says there that a soul being a soldier is sin.

That it’s wrong. Servant here was the man who treated here was a man, the Centurion who treated his servant with dignity and human worth. He did not despise slaves as other Gentiles commonly did. He actually treated them nicely. My teacher, Bobby Bobby Ladelle, how this note, some uncommon words describe this unusual man. Luke says this interior slave was dear to him.

This is not something you hear about a slave very often that they are dear to their master. They’re just property For the most part. And the Roman slave system, such an affection for one, no more esteem than an animal or tool to be used, abused cast out or killed at the discretion of the slave owner was very common. So it was very uncommon to hear of a Centurion,

actually loving his slave and the slave being dear to him, verse three. And when he heard of Jesus, he sent him unto the elders of the Jews, besieging him, that he would come and heal. His servant. The elders were men of maturity who were leaders in the Jewish community. It would only be natural that this interior man would entrust such a responsibility on to mature men.

Those whom he could count on to seek out Jesus and then present his case to the one who could provide healing. And Matthew, the Matthew account of this, this is represented as a personal visit upon the principle that what one does by his agent, he does by himself. So he sent these elder men to find Jesus and ask him to heal his slave.

But it was like he was coming himself as what is what the text is representing Verse four. And when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly saying that he was worthy for whom he should do this. The Jews pleaded the worthiness of this interior sin, but the Centurion declared his own unworthiness, declares his own own worthiness later. And we’ll see that truly greatness and humility go together.

Verse five for he loveth Our nation. And he has built a synagogue. This is why they’re saying that he is worthy of, of Jesus’s node. This in turn must have been somewhat wealthy in order to build a synagogue of his own accord, but that it said he loveth. Our nation indicates that his motives and building the edifice were not for selfish reasons.

He didn’t build it just to make sure that the Jews were at peace with him, that they weren’t going to fight with him or cause any problems where he was, he was taking charge of. He builds it because he actually loved the Jews. Truly we have before us a noble character worthy of great respect to this interior in Verse six, then Jesus Went with them.

And when he was now not far from the house, this intern sent friends to him saying unto him, Lord trouble, not thyself for, I am not worthy. That thou should enter under my roof. This entry and clearly has a great deal of humor. Humility. Humility is a prerequisite to reception of blessings from the almighty. It is a cure.

It is curious that this interior one would first and then seek to pro prohibit the Lord from coming under his roof. He came to the right person in the right way and came to Jesus humbly and respectfully telling them, I don’t even want you to come under my roof because I’m not worthy of you. Wherefore. Neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee,

but say in word, and my servant shall be healed. This is amazing. But say the word, the faith of this interaction is manifested in the words, which he spoke right there. Just say the word would that more men would trusts. So Implicitly and ESS and Simply besieged the Lord to simply say the word. That’s what we do in our prayer.

You just say it God. And I know that things are going to happen. The great tragedy Of our age is that men religiously speaking, no longer ask what God has the say on any other on any matter, we kind of just go about our day and we, we do what we need to do. And here we are seeing that. We need to ask God to say the word all the time.

We should constantly be in prayer asking about everything. If it is his will for, I also am a man said under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, go and he go with and to another come. And he cometh and to my servant do this. And he does it. The faith of this man was immeasurable. It was indeed great.

A greater miracle of healing can not be found without even seeing the suffering servant. Jesus restored him to Full health, complete health. Faith of this Centurion is complimented for the simple reason that this injury and recognized that Jesus was God in the flesh and needed, but speak the word for the man to be healed. He recognized that it’s just amazing that he a Gentile,

a Roman Centurion recognize this about G Jesus before his death and all of the amazing things that happen. Then This injury in place Jesus, on the throne of the universe, regarding him as the ruler of the world, and as having all Things under his command, he saw Him not merely as Messiah, but as God incarnate and there in lay the superiority of his faith to that of any of the Israelites,

not even any of the apostles at this present time had reached the lofty altitude on which the Gentile soldier stood. None of the apostles even had the, a grasp on the faith that this entry and had to just, you don’t even have to come to my home, just say it. And I know he’ll be healed. Verse nine, When Jesus heard these things,

he marveled at him and turned about and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith. No, not in Israel. Only one other time, as it said that Jesus marveled. And that was when he was rejected in his own country in Mark chapter six And verse six Here not found so great faith.

No, not in Israel. I remain for a Gentile to recognize the essential divinity of the power that could save at a distance. The very ones that should have recognized and received the savior were the very ones who failed in the test of faith. We can see a connection in John chapter one in verse 11 to this. So he came to save the Jews.

He did all these wondrous miracles in front of them. None of them recognized him as the Messiah, but this Roman Centurion Gentile recognize him as so powerful of the Messiah. He didn’t even have to come into his home. He just, but say the word and my servant will be saved. One of our teachers at MSOP Bobby Ladelle stated this, let us never conclude that greatness or weakness of faith is dependent upon race,

color, nationality, environment, social standing, power, wealth, or education. Neither is God’s mercy limited by the Verse 10. Yeah. And they that were sent and returning to the house, found the servant hole that had been sick, found the servant hole here. The miraculous cure for of Jesus were, were always complete An instantaneous. So it wasn’t like,

Oh, he was starting to get better. They came home. And this servant who was near death is able to get up and be a servant again, automatically completely. But this miracle is particularly significant and that none of the apostles or prophets of old for that matter ever restored health to a dying man without seeing the sufferer, having physical contact, or at least being in the presence of the one to be healed.

So that’s what makes this miracle extremely special. That’s why I said it’s one of the most special miracles. You’ll see, because this is the only account of a miracle where they didn’t, he, Jesus didn’t even have to be there. He just said, okay, your servants healed and he’s healed. And, and that’s what makes this miracle, just one of those amazing miracles.

Now we’re going Into the raising of the only son of the widow of Nane verses 11 through 17 Verse 11, And then came to pass that the day after that, he went into a city called Nene and many of his disciples went with him and much people. This miracle is recorded only by Luke. He’s the only one who records the miracle and the four gospels.

And this is the only reference to the city of Nene in the entire Bible. You never see a reference to name anywhere else in the new or old Testament. Rather, Edward Howard has this interesting observation. He said at the gate of this little city two, great precessions met in the lead one. And the lead of one was death. Her, her son was dying or dead.

And the lead of the second was life, which is Jesus, a meeting of death and life right here. And him was life. And the life was the light of men, John one, four It’s 12. Now, when he came nine to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out the only son of his mother.

And she was a widow and much people of the city was with her. One, procession was grief stricken for it was being led by the pale horse to the silent city of the dead, with great exaltation. The other procession was led by the living ward who only had immortality when life and death met. The battle was shortened decisive. Death fled from the Gates of the cities and my teacher,

Tom Wade caster Verse 13. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said unto her weep, not, it is rare in the gospels to find the expression the Lord used by itself. Jesus being Jesus, being the usual term. Usually you see Jesus here, but instead they use the word. The Lord saw her. The pulpit commentary suggests that the usage agrees with the unanimous tradition in the church,

respecting the authority ship authorship of this gospel. Neither Luke nor Paul had been with Jesus. These had always looked on Jesus thought of him as the Lord risen from the dead and throne in heaven. So Luke wasn’t there throughout Jesus’s ministry. He was made a disciple afterward. And so when he writes, he writes of knowing already that Jesus is the Lord instead of working with him through his ministry and knowing him as Jesus and eventually coming to that belief that he is the Lord.

He had compassion on her. The verse says, including this passage, the gospel accounts mentioned the fact that Jesus had compassion. Some of these being parallel accounts. And in each case he acted, we see Jesus had compassion and Matthew nine 36, 14, 14, 1530 to 2034 Mark, one 41, five 19 six 34 and eight two. It’s really refreshing to know that Jesus cares about us.

You can see that Jesus has compassion over and over and over again through the gut, throughout the gospels, the text weep, not Jesus singled out this woman and commanded her not to weep. Her son was dead. He commanded her not to weep. It was not possible at the moment for this bereaved widow to respond to such a command. However, the Lord never gave a command without supplying the power to obey it some say and do not,

but not our Lord James by inspiration condemns well-wishing without well-doing in James chapter two in verse 16. So Jesus didn’t, didn’t say weep not. And then just go on about your day. Jesus said, we’ve not because he was about to do something for this woman, verse 14. And he came and touched The bear buyer and they, That bear him stood still.

And he said, young men, I say unto thee arise to touch something associated with death, brought Sarah ceremonial defilement, which had to be removed by purification before entrance into a synagogue. The bearers must have wondered what would occur next because Jesus had touched something undefiled death here. The text young man, I say unto thee arise. The words spoken are similar to those spoken to the daughter of Jaris in Mark chapter five in verse 41.

When he healed jars, his daughter, And very similar there, The master with one solitary word, because the spirit of this young man, back from the secluded realm of the departed spirits to return to his earthly, Tim tabernacle, I say to the arise, one word, It isn’t, it is Spoken word of God almighty, which means contains the power to accomplish his divine will.

So it was with the Centurion of the world or this creation of the world. So it was with the raising of the dead. And so it is with the power contained in the gospel God’s power to save Romans one 16 and 17. It was also interesting to note the ease with which this miracle was performed. It wasn’t something difficult for Jesus to do.

We have witnessed some of the emotional hype that exists at some of the modern day healing sessions. I know I have a on occasion with some students at school watched like Hannah and all these nuts that are laying their hands on people. And you see them fly across the room and then they get up and they can walk perfectly and everything like that. And without a doubt,

the things which occur, there are nothing like that, which is recorded in the new Testament, a simple spoken word without fanfare or Austin Tanus gyrations. And this young lad Rose from the dead. So Jesus didn’t do all this crazy hype. You just said arise. And the boy arrived arose verse 15. Yeah. And he, that was dead, sat up and began to speak.

And he delivered him to his mother. The dead boys sat up and speak, but the record says nothing of what he spoke only Christ who had a bullish death has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. Second Timothy one 10. If one would know about heaven, he must go to the words of Christ, not the words of one who supposedly died and returned with a fanciful tale of a journey to heaven of the seven occasions of the dead being raised in the biblical record.

Not one word, not one is recorded of there. Revealing anything about the afterlife. We never hear them say anything. Oh, there was a tunnel. There was a light, Oh, heaven was beautiful. You never see any of that in the scripture. Sure. We’re 16. And there Came a fear on all and they glorified God saying that a great prophet has risen up among us and that God has visited his people.

No prophet had visited Israel since the days of Malakai, the miracles, which Jesus performed would naturally produce this type of amazement and conclusion among those who were honest enough to accept the evidence at face value. How tragic that, excuse me, that the nation, as a whole represented by their spiritual and political leaders rejected the Lord in spite of the abundant evidence surrounding his ministry upon this earth,

they perceived of him as a prophet, but fell short of acknowledging him, Son of God, verse 17. And this rumor of him went For throughout all Judea and throughout all the region roundabout, there is no way for men to stretch their minds, to fully comprehend the impact of such a miracle as Jesus performed shocking the entire Eastern half of the Roman empire,

nor should it be left on notice that this miracle was rot within a few miles of Nazareth, whose city who citizens had refused to believe Jesus, not too long before this, this miracle was close enough that they could have, they could not have avoided knowing it happened. And thus Jesus gave his home village another chance to believe on him in whom they despised.

So Jesus had been rejected by Nazareth and this was close enough to Nazareth that they had another opportunity to see that he was the, The Third section here. Jesus is commending John, the Baptist verses 18 through 35. That’s reasonable Verses 18 through 20. And the disciples of John showed him of all these things. And John calling unto him, two of his disciples sent them to Jesus saying art thou he,

that should come or look we for another. When the men, when the men were coming to him, they said, John, the Baptist had sent us on to these saying art thou he, that should come or look we for another. He, that Should come as a reference to the anticipated Messiah. Just what the purpose for sending the disciples to Jesus is uncertain to viewers seem to exhaust the possibilities.

Either John sent the disciples to Jesus because of their wavering faith, or he sent them to Jesus because he had some doubts of his own as to whether Jesus was indeed the Messiah for EF promised before time Kaufman had this note, he’s a brother in Christ. John’s uncertainty is understandable. He had publicly identified Jesus as the Christ, but the Savior’s Messiah ship was not being proclaimed with a dogmatic certainty,

which John might’ve expected. It’s a possibility that John was thinking Jesus was going to be out there proclaiming that he was the Messiah. He was the King of the Jews. And, and that’s what John was expecting. And that hadn’t happened there. As a matter of fact, Jesus kept telling everybody to keep his identity a secret for a long time, we saw in the first year of his ministry,

therefore he did with his doubts. What every true believer in Christ should always do that is he brought them to Jesus who answered and relieve them. John was in prison at the time, his preaching had been rewarded with maltreatment at the hand of the religious and social authorities. It’s, it’s no wonder that he wanted answers to his doubts. He was in a bad place.

He was in a dark place being stuck in prison. And he, he wanted to know that everything he had worked for was coming to fruition in Christ verse 21. And in that same hour, he cured many of their infirmities in plagues and of evil spirits and unto many that were blind. He gave sight In response to John and response to John’s questions.

Jesus gives visible evidence that he is indeed the Messiah, the miracles, which he performed on this occasion should have served as an answer for these disciples on many that were blind and be stowed. He bestowed sight. The text says the Greek suggests that he kindly gave sight or he graciously gave sight. This is very characteristic of our Lord, not only the cure,

but the manner in which he performed it. And dear at him to those who were objects of his kindness and compassion Verse 22, then Jesus answering said, unto them, go your way and tell John what things you have seen and heard how the blind see the lame walk. The lepers are cleansed. The deaf hear the dead are raised to the poor.

The gospel is preached. The texts here to the poor. The gospel is preached. Jesus realized that John by his very nature would recognize the fulfillment of prophecy. When it was pointed out to him, seeing that these things must be done in fulfillment of prophecy. John would thereby curb his impatience and recognize that Jesus is indeed the promised Messiah brother Ladelle stated again,

Christ had come not with the military might of an earthly kingdom, but with the mercy from heaven. So was fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah 35, five through 10. Hm. And blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in him. Verse 23, Jesus stated the pulpit commentary calls attention to the tender way in which Jesus deals with the doubts that John May have had a warning was needed.

But it was given in the form of a beatitude, which is which it was still open to him to claim and make his own<inaudible> Verse 24. And when the messengers of John were departed, he began to speak unto the people concerning John. What went ye out into the wilderness for to see a Reed shaken with the wind Jesus, his testimony concerning John is one of those tender,

earnest and exquisitely, beautiful utterances of our Lord that shines brightly. A Reed shaken with the wind. John was not a no slender trifling character blown about by every doctrine. He was no delicate spiritual character merely amusing himself by turning himself into a preacher. He was more like the sturdy Oak, which can not be moved so easily. John was not a vacillating popularity,

seeker preaching. Only those things that fit fitted the popular mood, a weather vane type of preacher pointing in all directions like a Reed in the wind. He was sturdy. He’s stood fast in God’s word verses 25 through 27. But what ye out for to see a man clothed in soft, Raymond behold, they, which are gorgeously appareled and live delicately are in Kings courts.

But what went ye out for to see a prophet? Yay. I see unto you and much more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written behold. I send my messenger before they face, which shall prepare thy way before the, it is significant that Jesus changes slightly. The words found in Malakai chapter three in verse one, the old Testament prophet had actually written behold.

I will send my messenger and he shall prepare the way before me. But in quoting the passage, Jesus says, behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which prepare the way before the, before the, the pulpit commentary States that States in the profits eyes, he, who was sending and he before whom the way was to be prepared. We’re one in the same person Jehovah.

So the one that was sending Jesus, the Lord, the one that was to be prepared, Jesus, the Lord hints the before me of Malakai, but the, but for Jesus who is speaking of himself and never confounds himself with the father, a distinction became necessary. That connection of Malakai and the words of Jesus has our Lord implying that he is in fact,

the divine God who so led Malakai to rot, right? The prophecy. So here in once in one quoting, adding just a couple of words, Jesus is not only quoting that the prophecy has been fulfilled, but that he is the one who gave the prophecy in the first place. Once again, Jesus is affirming his deity verse 28 for I see in to you among those that are born of women,

there is not a greater profit than John the Baptist, but he, that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he, none greater had arisen than John, his faithfulness, his character, his boldness and courage set him apart from those born of women. But Jesus was teaching his disciples. That one who enters the kingdom was in fact greater than John.

The greatness is not one of character, but of privileges and blessings. The lesson seems to be that if John was blessed of God, and obviously he was blessed of God, then those who have the wisdom to enter the kingdom will in a much greater fashion, be blessed as well. The words greater than he Men living this side of the cross are greater than John.

Only in the sense of the message they proclaim and the blessing which they enjoy. Even the most significant isolated child of God is greater than John. If for no other reason than the fact that the message which we proclaim is so far superior to the message, which John proclaimed, John proclaimed of the coming Christ, we proclaim the Christ has come and salvation is ours to be had verses 29 and 30.

And all the people that heard him and the publicans justified God being baptized with the baptism of John. But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves being not baptized of him. Those who rejected John’s baptism were not rejecting the winds of some eccentric man in the wilderness. They were in fact rejecting the very council of God as it, as it was was then.

So it is now those who reject the baptism of the new Testament do not reject some mere theory of men. They reject the counsel of God and his son, Jesus Christ, By rejecting Anything that has to do that comes from God. We are objecting, God verses 31 through 35. And the Lord said, where two then shall I liken the men of this generation?

And two, what are they like? They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace and calling one to another and saying, we have piped unti, PIP piped unto you. And you have not danced. And we have more into you and you have not wept for John. The Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine. And you say he had a devil.

The son of man has come eating and drinking. And he say, behold, a gluttonous man and a wine. Bibber a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of all, All her children. This illustration would have been familiar to the people of this city. What Jesus has just said here, the marketplace was a place where children would play children.

Playing would invite their friends to play along as they piped and dance pretending to be at a wedding, but their friends refused to play along in turn. They would invite their friends to whale and weep as they pretended to be at a funeral. But again, they refused to play along the application, being that as these children could not be satisfied, no matter what the game.

So the Jews of that age would not be satisfied at the messengers sent to prepare the way for the coming kingdom. John came with his abstinence, his seclusion in the wilderness. They could not bear the man and even accused him of possessing a demon. Jesus came entering into homes of the publicans and sinners, eating with them and walking in the street Of the Jews.

These immature Jews, like the little Children would not accept him either. Neither motive life would satisfy them. They were as unreasonable as little children. And in fact, Jesus was saying, you men of this generation are like a troop of wayward children who go on with their own game at one time gate at another time grave and give heed to no one else and experience that everyone should conform to them.

As brother Wade caster. One of my teachers said that you were angry with John because he would not dance to your pit piping. And with me, because I will not weep to your dirge, John sensored, your<inaudible>. I rebuke your hypocrisy. You vilify both and reject the good counsel of God who has devised of men means for your salvation and wisdom is justified of all her children.

The wisdom said in this verse, these verses the wisdom revealed to John in this incident was actually manifested in life and doctrine of Christ. This verse simply means that Christ was approved and justified by all those who were truly they could see through the inconsistencies and foolish Ringlings of the farracies. All right. So I didn’t know I was supposed to stop there, but I’m supposed to stop there and we’ll go ahead and go through the questions now.<inaudible> Number one.

Why did this in Tyrian and Capernaum not come to Jesus himself concerning his dying slave. Excuse me. Yep. They felt unworthy. Correct? How did this interaction say that Jesus could heal the slave? Yeah, just by saying so just the power of his word. Jesus marveled at the Capernaum, centurions a home, be soldier skills, see obedient slaves or de faith.

Thanks. I like how they give you, like all these completely. That’s not the answer. And then they’re like, Oh, and D faith. Yeah. What was Jesus’s feeling for the widow of Dean whose son had died? Yes. He had compassion. What did the people of Nene say about Jesus after he raised the son of the widow?<inaudible> Yes.

And prophet was among them or God had visited his people. When the two messengers from John, the Baptist asked Jesus, are you the one who is coming? What was his reply?<inaudible> So in Jesus his own way, he said yes. Why? According to Jesus had the people gone out into the wilderness to see John the Baptist<inaudible> Yeah, they wanted,

they wanted to see for themselves if he was real, basically not a Reed shaken in the wind. And these people were dressed in fanciful clothes, going out there to see if this was actually the prophet, a prophet, the messenger to prepare the way for him. Was John the Baptist in the kingdom of God? No, he was before the kingdom of God.

Before the church who had been baptized with John’s baptism in Luke seven 29 through 30, Huh? Yes, sir. And who had not been baptized with John’s baptism, Pharisees, and Lord, you didn’t give anybody a chance to answer any of the questions you just did it all yourself. Very good. All right. I know we’re stopping a little bit early today,

but you got me and not Aaron, so I’m not, I’m trying to keep it down a little bit. Thank you very much. We’ll take a break and come for worship. We have a little church of Christ, Sunday morning, worship service. It’s great to see each of you here. I have a fair number of announcements. So bear with me this morning.

But first of all, I want to welcome our guest. If you’re visiting with us, we want you to know that you are our honored guest. And if you would please take a moment and pick up the card and the Pew in front of you and fill it out and hand it to one of us or just leave it on the Pew. And it will be picked up.

Also, as you came in the auditorium, I know all of the members are familiar with this, but the communion cups are on the table. As you walk through the doors, if you would pick up your bread and your wine, as it is displayed there and take it with you to your seat, if you haven’t done that yet, now’s a good time to go get it.

And while we’re going through the announcements we have, as I mentioned earlier, a fair number of members that are sick and under the weather, remember Joan Springer. She is doing a little bit better perhaps, and Dorothy Wilson. She still has problems with her blood pressure. And so on her grand daughter, Taylor Wilson and her ex daughter-in-law and her husband, and are all suffering from COVID.

So the family itself is, is pretty well down. Also remember Noah Olson, he’s the Memphis school of preaching student that is working with us here. He is out with yeah, Barbara Dillard is recovering from a rotator cuff procedure. And she’s certainly in a lot of pain from that. And I understand that is a very painful operation and she will be unable to move her arm for two weeks.

Now, I don’t know how they immobilize it, but it must be, must be very uncomfortable. Lucky Hanks is home and doing well from his procedure that he had and putting a place pacemaker in. And it seems to be, I’ve talked to him a couple of times and he seems to be doing much better and is honestly feeling better after having had the pacemaker,

Alena sharp, Shelly stacks, mother, I just talked with Shelly. She came in, she has double pneumonia and she also is suffering from Murcia, a very serious infection, and she’s holding her own, but not doing well. And Jake and Missy Sutton, they were ex church, Memphis school of preaching students. That kinda had a connection here. They visited often,

but both of those have COVID and they are working in Georgia now. So it need to keep them, and it of utmost importance to us is Aaron Cozort has a sinus infection. He doesn’t think it’s a COVID or anything like that, but just to be on the safe side. And he’s waiting to see how that develops. And he’s not with us today.

So need to keep all of these people in our prayers and hopefully we’ll get some relief from this COVID shortly. We need to also remember Francis Redmond. She lost her daughter, I guess it was Thursday night, early Friday morning. They found her body and car in the garage with the motor running. And she had left a note that she was on the way to Walgreens to get some medicine for.

She was having a lot of pain with her chest and just general pain. So the parent Frances founder, about four o’clock in the morning, we don’t know much about it, but at any rate, she passed away. And we don’t know whether it was from carbon monoxide poisoning or whether it was heart attack or what really happened. But we do know that she was headed for Walgreens to get some medicine.

And we don’t know what time of night that was, but carbon running for a good while in the garage with the door shut and the fumes. Well, Frances and she found her about four o’clock in the morning and called the paramedics or call nine one one. And the fire department came and took care of the situation. Francis ended up in the hospital for the biggest part of the day,

Friday to get the carbon monoxide Al of her system. So that’s all I know about that. So keep Francis in your prayers at the loss of her daughter, and she has fully recovered from her carbon monoxide poisoning. That’s all the announcements that I have. Our song leader today will be Jacob Wallace. We appreciate him coming and doing this on such a short notice.

Joe caisson will have the opening prayer. Tommy O’Neil will be officiating at our Lord’s supper. Michael Dale we’ll have our sermon and Murray Springer. We’ll have the closing prayer again. Thank you for your attendance. First song of worship. This morning will be number eight 69 we’re marching design come. We that love the Lord and<inaudible> join in a song with sweet corn.

Join in a song with sweet, a chord and a so around throw throw. And so around the throne were arching twos, a young beautiful<inaudible> beautiful city of God. Lactose reef used to sing who never God, but children of the heavenly King, but children of the heavenly King may speak their choice up broad may speak their choice. Bra God we’re botching juice,

Yon. Beautiful.<inaudible> beautiful city of God.<inaudible> songs about danda. Every tear be dry. We’re marching through and man Wells ground. We’re marching through him, man. UL’s ground to fam. Well, it’s hard to rope welds on high.<inaudible> beautiful.<inaudible> upward to a beautiful city. Our song before our first prayer, I’ll be number three 15 when I survey the wondrous cross.

Hm, wow. And I saw<inaudible> which<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> for<inaudible> save. And<inaudible> all the pain things that<inaudible> I sacrifice them to is see from his head. He, his hands, his feet saw arrow B go the such love. And so me needs<inaudible> so rich.<inaudible> where a whole<inaudible> that pres too small. So<inaudible> so the nine T mans.

My, so my life<inaudible> Out a smile. Oh God, our father in heaven, we truly are grateful unto thee for the privilege that we have as your children to come here and worship this day. Father we’re mine for the great love that was demonstrated through your son, coming to this earth and suffering and dying on the cross of Calvary, that we might have our sins cleansed and be able to become children of yours.

Father. We’re grateful for the Bible study period that we’ve had to come and be strengthened by your word. And we’re thankful for Michael and his ability to teach the class. We pray father that as we consider the things that we studied today, that our faith will be strengthened. It will have a better understanding of your will and that we might have the privilege to continue to serve you to the best of our ability.

We pray father that might always be mindful of those that are not members of your body. And that we pray that we might say or do something and be able to share your word with them, that they might come to them, knowledge of your wheel and want to buy it. We’re so grateful father that we can call your, our father, that we can be your children and have that peace of mine that we’re serving you and glorifying you.

And we pray. We continue to do that, that we might have that home and having with a one day father were mindful of all the sick that have been mentioned in those that have undergone procedures. For those that have the code virus, we pray father that you to be with all of these and pray for those that are administering to them, that they might do those things that are most needful to help restore them to their health father.

We’re also mindful of Francis and the loss of Sandy. We pray father that you be with her and comfort her and help us to be an encouragement to her through this difficult period of time that she has faced. We pray father specially for Aaron and for aid in the children and pray that Aaron might regain his health and would not have been inflicted by the COVID TRIBErs.

We pray father that you continue to bless them and watch over them. We pray father that you be with Michael is he’s about to break the bread of life to us today and pray that you continue to strengthen him as he goes to the school of preaching, that his ability to teach and preach your word might be increased and he’ll be effective servant in the kingdom.

We pray to be with his family and, and watch over them and pray that they might be blessed and that we, we would encourage them as we have that privilege and opportunity to be able to help them support them in this effort at the school of preaching, probably that you be with Noah is he’s try and recover from being exposed to the virus. And probably that he’ll be back with us soon and take up his place here.

We’re thankful for Jacob dear father, that he’s come to direct our songs service. We pray that you be with him in the, in the directing of our songs. And probably that we might listen a tenant to the, to the words that we saying that we might truly be praising thy name, and also being admonished in one another with the songs that we sing.

Father, we’re grateful for those that are teaching and preaching. In other lands, we pray for those that we support and pray that we might always keep them in our prayers. That many souls might hear the gospel and want to be obedient to it. Dear God, we pray that you be with our nation and the turmoil that she’s in, we pray that we will always stand up for the truth dear father,

and that we try to be the best examples we can be to those round about us, that they truly know that we’re your children, that we’re trying to follow your will and, and give you the honor and the glory and the praise help us to help those that are not your children. To be a more godly people, to not be an ungodly nation that we appear to be.

And we pray father that we have strength and courage that we continue to live our lives out in a way that would please and glorify you remind for those that are unfaithful father. And we pray that we might be able to encourage them in some form or fashion that they would know where they stand in your sight and would turn back to you and become fateful.

Children of yours. Bless us, our father and our worship today, we pray it will be acceptable. Help us always keep in mind your love and that we should extend that love to others. As we have that opportunity that we will be patient with one another and compassionate toward those that are having difficulties strengthen us each day and help us be strengthened by worship today.

And we pray that it be pleased you in Jesus name, amen For the Lord separate. We’ll be singing My love for cross course week number three 50, When my love to cry scrolls, we went for tea Fe dicey<inaudible> garden.<inaudible> that’d be how old is gunny suffered on the bit a tree C has a<inaudible> love TRIBE.<inaudible> then<inaudible> the journey.

All the, no, the pain<inaudible> and falls selves. Chris, We have this opportunity this morning to eat of this bread and drink of the cup. As we haven’t been commanded to do, to remember the death of Christ, our Lord and savior and the sacrifice that he made for all of mankind. Would you bow with me, Our heavenly father.

We thank you for this bread, which to us represents the body of our savior sacrificed for our sins. We asked, dear Lord did this. Each of us take of it that we want, think of the horrible death that he died, and that would my partake of it all on Berlin. Truly thankful manner. Yes. We ask him Christ name.

Amen. Would you bow with me? Our heavenly father, wicked 10 yard. Thanks for this fruit of the vine. Wait, Pray that as we partake of it, each one of us would think about the salvation that we might have through this Blood. We pray that we would take over dinner Manner that is pleasing and acceptable in my sight. So in Christ’s name,

we ask, Amen, your Bible with me, Our heavenly father. We thank you for all of the blessings that we receive in this life. We do not even realize how numerous they are. We thank you for the material blessings that we have in this country. We can look at other countries around us and see, I say that we truly are a blessed country.

We thank you for these blessings. As we prepared to return on the part of that, that we have been blessed with. We pray that we would do so with a cheerful, thankful heart. This we ask in Christ’s name. Amen.<inaudible> Our invitation song. After the lesson will be number nine, 15, number nine, one five, trust and obey.

We’ll sing that after the upcoming lesson, presently we’ll sing number five 65, 60 zero. Living by faith. I cannot today. What the Morrow may bring if shadow or sunshine or rain, the Lord, I know rule if thought ever be thing. And all of my worry is<inaudible> living by faith. Hey Jesus, trusting.<inaudible> hiding in his grade.<inaudible> I’m living by faith.

Hey, then feel Noah though. Tempus may blow and a storm cloud. So rise up scolding the brightness of LA live. I’m never alarmed that the overcast skies, the massive looks on at the straw living by faith. Hey, and she is also a trusting.<inaudible> hiding in his grave from<inaudible> I’m living by fear and feel. No. Well,

well we turn in his glory someday troubles. Well then I’ll be your, the masters. So gently, well Theda. So way beyond that last tab and Lee<inaudible> living by faith. Hey, Angie saw us up trusting<inaudible> from<inaudible>. I’m living by Faith. Hey, Banfield, Noah. Welcome to the Collierville church of Christ. Those of you that are visiting this morning,

I’m going to speak on the real test of discipleship. Our main text is going to be kept mostly in Mark chapter 10, verses one through 12. So if you’ll turn there, Mark chapter 10 verses one through 12, and we’re going to be reading that first and then getting into the lesson. And he arose from things and come at them to the coast of Judea by the farther side of Jordan and the people resort unto him again.

And he was not one. And he was want, he taught them again, as he was want. He taught them again. And the Pharisees came to him and asked him, is it lawful for a man to put away his wife tempting him? And he answered and said unto them, what did Moses command you? And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement and to put her away.

And Jesus answered and said unto them for the hardness of your heart. He wrote you this precept, but from the beginning of the creation, God made them male and female for this cause shall a man leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife. And they Twain shall be one flesh. So then, so then they are no more Twain, but one flesh,

what, therefore God has joined together. Let not man put us under. And in the house, his disciples asked him again of the same matter. And he said unto them, whosoever shall put away his wife and marry another committed adultery against her. And if a woman shall put away her husband and be married to another, she committed adultery. Does that sound a little loud to you sounds a little loud to me,

probably because both of them are on. You got it. It’s still on turn this one off. Sorry about that. As disciples, we need to ask ourselves, are we ready to face the tough questions in regards to others and ourselves as Christians, we are keenly aware that there are those who watch us only to see us fall. People will constantly just try to get a Christian to fall so they could say,

see, I told ya, at times these same people will set traps in order to snare us. Their reason for doing this is simple. They want an for not living as God has instructed here in Mark chapter 10, we have a similar situation. The Pharisees come to Jesus asking a question about his teaching and divorce on remarriage and remarriage teachings on divorce and remarriage.

Jesus explains what God’s will has always been for the marriage and those involved, but we cannot overlook that which takes place here. It is also a great test of real discipleship and not merely a discussion on divorce. This section of scripture can be broken down into two parts, the Pharisee’s question and purpose and Jesus’s question and answer. So let us consider the first part.

The farrier sees question and purpose. Once again, we find Jesus teaching in the temple back to verse one in Mark, chapter 10, Mark ten one. And he arose from thence and cometh into the coast of Judea by the farther side of Jordan and the people resort unto him again. And as he was want, he taught them again on this particular occasion,

some Pharisees come to Jesus asking a question of him, verse two, and the Pharisees came to him and asked him, is it lawful for a man to put away his wife tempting him? Clearly they are asking about a divorce. The question they are asking is in reference to Deuteronomy chapter 24, verses one through four, do on me chapter 24. This is one<inaudible>.

When a man has taken a wife and married her and it come to pass that she finds no favor in his eyes because he had found some uncleanness in her. Then let him write her a bill of divorcement and give it in her hand and send her out of his house. And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be known and be another man’s wife.

And if the latter husband hate her and write her a bill of divorcement and give with it in her hand and sendeth her out of his house, or if the latter husband die, which took her to be his wife, her former husband, which sent her away may not take her again to be his wife. After that, she is defiled for that is abomination before the Lord and now shall not cause the land to sin,

which the Lord, thy God give it the foreign inheritance. Again. Clearly we’re speaking. The Pharisees are speaking of divorce here. There are some things we need to consider about this question that they asked Jesus. First at the time, this question is asked. There are two main schools of thought on the issue by the Jewish rabbis and the century before Jesus,

before Christ learned rabbi by the name of Hillel came to Jerusalem and soon became head of the chief school in the city. One of his students, she MII separated from his master and set up another school of teaching at the time of Jesus, his appearance, the scribes and doctors of the law were broken into two parties. The followers of Hillel and the followers of shamiah the teaching on divorce for each party.

We’re an opposition to one, another rabbi Hillel taught that divorce could happen for the smallest offense. Anything your wife or husband does anything well at this point in time, it was your wife. If your wife does anything that you do not like she doesn’t make her coffee, right? Give her a writ of divorce and get rid of her. But rabbi Shammai taught that divorce could only happen because of sexual unfaithfulness.

The way the question is worded makes it clear. They are speaking of the teachings of rabbi Hillel. Let’s turn to Matthew chapter 19 in verse three. This is the, this is the same talk, but in Matthew’s account, Matthew 19 in verse three,<inaudible> The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him and saying unto him, is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?

So they’re asking about the teachings of Hillel here, because these are the teachings that they follow let’s consider the words of Josephus and his antiquities. Josephus was a writer back in the time of Christ, a Jewish historian, if you will. And what he States in his book is he that desires to be divorced from his wife for any cause whatsoever. And many such causes happen among men.

Many such causes. He says happened among men, whatever the cause is, like I said, she made her coffee wrong. You can get rid of her, let him in writing, give assurance that he will never use her as his wife anymore for, by this means she may be at Liberty to marry another husband. Although before this bill of divorce be given,

she is not to be permitted to do so, but if she be misused by him also, or if when he is dead, her first husband would marry her. Again. It shall not be lawful for her to return to him. Sounds a lot like Deuteronomy 24, one through four second. It is clear from the text why they are asking this specific question.

Let’s read Mark chapter 10 and verse two, again, Mark chapter 10 and verse two. And the furious seas came to him and asked him, is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? The question that clear intent, tempting him. They were tempting Christ. They are clearly not asking this to gain some spiritual insight or some spiritual truth.

They asked this to catch Jesus in a trap like politicians in the news media of today, the Pharisees want Jesus to go on record so they can have something to use against him. The trap is found in whom Jesus sides with. Now, if Jesus sides with says that the man can divorce for any cause he sides with rabbi Hillel and they would then claim Jesus was morally lax.

If Jesus’ sides says only for unfaithfulness, he sides with Shanghai, they will claim that Jesus is unfriendly to sinners or non forgiving. He also puts himself against the most popular view held by the wealthy. If he rejected, both the Pharisees could say, Jesus is against all divorce and thus violating Deuteronomy 24, one through four. What we read from Moses,

the Pharisees believed that they had a question by which they could bring harm to Jesus and his work from the time Jesus began teaching to this point in time here in the, in the texts that we’re reading in Mark chapter 10, there had always been a resistance toward him and his teaching. Every single time, the Pharisees of the scribes or the Sadducees are around.

They were trying to find something to trap Jesus in their goal was to hold their current belief system and get Jesus out of the picture because as they saw it, Jesus, his teachings were detrimental to their way of life. He was trying to get rid of all the old and bringing the new right, following the question of the Pharisees. Jesus now responds with a question of his own and an answer.

Let’s look at Jesus’s question and answer Mark chapter 10, three through 12. And we’re going to read through the whole thing again. I want this in everybody’s mind. And he answered and said unto them, what did Moses command you? And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement and to put her away. And Jesus answered and said unto them for the hardness of your heart.

He wrote you this precept, but from the beginning of the creation, God made them male and female for this cause shall a man leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife. And they Twain shall be one flesh. So then they are no more Twain. That’s two but one flesh. What? Therefore God has joined together. Let no man put us under.

And in the house, his disciples asked him again of the same matter. And he said unto them, whosoever shall put away his wife and marry another committed adultery against her. And if a woman shall put away her husband and be married to another, she committed adultery. Jesus begins by appealing to the law, which they claim to uphold. He is not appealing to one of their rabbis.

Current school of teachings. We see this in Mark chapter three, when he says, what did Moses command you? And verse four, the Pharisees correctly, state what? Deuteronomy 24 and verses one through four state. And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement and to put her away. But in verses in verse five, Jesus explains what Deuteronomy 24,

why Deuteronomy 24, one through four even existed. And Jesus answered and said unto them for the hardness of your heart. He wrote you this precept. It was because they had hard hearts. They couldn’t accept what God wanted. And so Moses suffered them to write a bill of divorcement. What Moses permitted did not change God’s will for marriage. Moses simply stated that if they were going to send their wives away,

as certificate of divorcement should be given and no way did this alter God’s original design for marriage or mean God was pleased with the action itself. And Moses never indicates and verses in chapter 24, that it was that God was okay with it. Or even that he was okay with it. The teachers of the law believe that Moses was giving them permission to divorce their wives.

But he was not since they had already determined to divorce their wives because of the hardness of their hearts. Moses said, write a certificate of divorce. When we get to verses six through nine, Jesus does something unexpected. Instead of addressing their question on divorce, he explains God’s will for marriage. Let’s read six through nine, again, Mark 10, six through nine.

But from the beginning of the creation, God made them male and female for this cause shall a man leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife. And they Twain shall be one flesh. So then they are no more Twain, but one flesh what? Therefore God has joined together. Let no man put us under, Excuse me. And understanding God’s will for marriage.

You understand God, you understand God’s view on divorce. And if the Pharisees really wanted to know God’s will for marriage, Deuteronomy 24 was not the place to look because it speaks of the hardness of their hearts because they were, they Moses suffered them. This let us consider what Jesus said about God’s plan for marriage. First God’s plan for marriage begin at the creation.

Jesus States this plainly and verse six, a from the beginning of the creation, he says his plan does not arrive on the scene. When Moses gives this wall and Deuteronomy 24, his plan has been there from the beginning of creation marriage from the beginning. Second God’s plan for marriage involves a male and a female. Again, Jesus States this in plain language.

Let’s read six again, but from the beginning of the creation, God made them male and female. This is how God created. Let’s turn to Genesis one 27, just put it in our minds. This is how God created. Let’s go back to the beginning. Genesis chapter one in verse 27. So God created man in his own image and the image of God created,

he him male and female created he them and context, male and female are used in reference to marriage because God had created male and female. His intentions were always for marriage to take place between the two, a male and a female. This would exclude any other parties from marrying period because this was looked down on as vial and unnatural turn to Romans chapter one verses 26 and 27,

Romans chapter one 26 and 27.<inaudible> Romans one 26 and 27 for this cause God gave them up to vile affections for even their women did change the natural use into that, which is against nature. And likewise also the men leaving the natural use of women. Natural use of women burned in their lust, one toward another men with men working that, which is unseemly and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error,

which was meat. This is vial. This is unnatural against nature. This is lust. This is unseemly. This is error. All God Jesus is saying here is it’s to be between a man and a woman, nothing else. Third God’s plan of marriage involves the creation of a family. No longer are we to be with our parents. Turn back to Mark chapter 10,

Mark chapter 10, and look at verse seven For this cause Shelly man, leave his father and mother and cleave unto his wife. Excuse me Again, no longer with parents. We can see this back in the beginning, go back to Genesis chapter two and we’ll look at verse 22 through 24 Genesis two 22. God sets up how marriage is supposed to be Genesis two 22 through 24 And the rib,

which the Lord God had taken from man made he a woman and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, this is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. She shall be called woman because she was taken out of man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother and shall cleave unto his wife. And they shall be one flesh.

Cleave. Here is the idea of being glued together. They are glued together, whether that is stronger than glue that we can imagine because this is a spiritual glue. This is a closer relationship than one could ever fathom having with their father or their mother. Fourth God’s plan for marriage joins two until one. Jesus tells us this in Mark chapter 10 in verse eight,

let’s go back to our main texts in Mark chapter 10. If you’re not already there, Mark chapter 10 in verse eight and they Twain shall be one flesh. So then they are no more two, but one flesh. God, the father tells us this in Genesis chapter two 24, as we read earlier, it’s the exact same thing. The two shall be one flesh.

Jesus adds. So then they are no more Twain, but one flesh for emphasis. He wants us to understand when you are married, you become one, two becoming one involves both the mind and the body. This is not merely a sexual relationship. This is, This is completely Spiritual. Mental. You are one person. Fifth God’s plan for marriage does not permit man to break it.

No man is allowed to break this marriage. Mark chapter 10 in verse nine, Jesus says what? Therefore God has joined together. Let not man put Asunder. The figure here Is yoked together. And it is God who does the yoking. Now yoke is what they used to put on oxygen. When they were threshing the fields, they would have to oxen side by side in this double arch that they would put on top of the yolks next and hinge with another one double arch that came up and they would block it together.

So when the, when the oxen were threshing, when they were doing the field, they had to stay together. One couldn’t go off in either direction. They were pooled in the same direction because of this yoke. And this yoke is what God does to a man and a woman. When they get married, they become yoked together as such let no man put us under.

Jesus says Legon has joined together in his creation. No man has the right to separate no man, if he does. So he stands in direct opposition to God. Having said this in verse 11 and 12, Jesus explains what happens if God’s plan is not followed. Let’s read Mark 10, 11, and 12 Mark chapter 10, 11, and 12.

And he said unto them, whosoever Shall put away his wife and marry another committed adultery against her. And if a woman shall put away her husband and be married to another, she committed adultery. Jesus says, if a man or woman divorces their meat and marries another, they are committing adultery. It’s plain language here. Moses permitted them to give a certificate of divorce,

but this did not change the result of them. Marrying another person. You can get divorced for any reason because of the hardness of your hearts. But that doesn’t mean you can go off and get married to somebody else. We need to consider one other part of Jesus’s answer, not found in Mark. Let us consider Matthew chapter 19 and verse nine, Matthew chapter 19 and verse nine.

And I say unto you whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication and shall marry another committed adultery and whoso Mary with her, which has put away death commit adultery. And let us also consider Matthew chapter five, go back to Matthew chapter five, verses 31 and 32, Matthew five 31 and 32. It has been said who’s so let him per a writing of divorcement.

But I say unto you that whosoever shall put away his wife saving for the cause of fornication. That is sex outside of the marriage, causes her to commit adultery and whosoever shall marry her. That is divorced, committed adultery here. Jesus makes it clear that God does not allow divorce and remarriage to take place. If, and only if adultery has taken place on the part of the mates,

this is the only reason the word except indicates the one exception. The exception is fornication adultery, that Greek porneia, this is every kind of unlawful sexual intercourse. Anything sexual that your mate does against you? The answer Jesus gave to the Pharisees question is not what they were looking for. Clearly the fact that they were trying to catch Jesus in a trap did not matter to him.

In fact, what was not going. In fact, he was not going to side with one of their schools of thought, just to avoid this confrontation with the Pharisees. He was clear under the law of Moses. They had no reason to divorce their wives unless fornication had taken place, but because of the hardness of their hearts, because they couldn’t put it in their mind.

He allowed them to give a writ of divorcement. And considering what has been said, although the issue is divorced and subsequently remarriage, there is a bigger issue at hand that pertains to all disciples. The problem Jesus faced here in this is the same one. Moses faced the hardness of their hearts. If we look at one other passage, I think this will be made clear.

Let us read Matthew chapter 19 verses 10 through 12 Matthew, 1910 through 12. His disciples say unto him. If the case, if the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry, but he said unto them, all men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given for. There are some units which were so born from their mother’s womb.

And there are some units which were made units of men and there’d be units which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven sake. He, that is able to receive it. Let him receive it as disciples. Are we ready to face the tough questions as Jesus did here in regards to others and ourselves, this is the real test of discipleship. Are you ready to go out and answer the tough questions?

What must I do to be saved first? You must hear the word of God, Romans 10 17, because it will lead you to faith. Second. You must believe that Jesus is the Christ. The son of the living God, John eight 24. So you will not die in your sins. Third, you must repent of your past life. As God has commanded acts 1730 fourth.

You must confess Jesus as the Christ, the son of the living God before man Matthew 10 32. If we wish to be confessed before God by Christ and heaven, fifth, you must be baptized for the remission of your sins. Acts two 38. And finally you must live faithfully to God walking in the light. First, John one, six and seven until death to receive a crown of life revelation two 10.

Nobody is going to know this stuff unless we are willing to go out and teach it and to be able to go out and teach it. We must know it all ourselves. If you have yet to obey the waters of baptism already for you, or if you have need of prayers of the saints, we’re here for you, whatever your need, please come forward as Dan scene.<inaudible> way while we do his good will he abides with us still?

And we will trust and<inaudible> trust Stan Dalby for there’s no the way to be happy and jeez us, but to trust. And<inaudible> not a shadow can rise, not her cloud and sky rise, but his smile quickly drive<inaudible> wow. Are a fee here. Nada<inaudible> can abide while we trust that<inaudible> trust<inaudible> for. There’s no the way to be happy and jeez us,

but to trust. And<inaudible> then in fallow ships, we eat, we will say that his feet we’ll walk by his side in a way, what he says we will do where he sends. We will go never fear. Oh, the trust and<inaudible> trust<inaudible> for. There’s no a way to be happy and she saw us, but to trust.

And<inaudible> Our final song this morning before worship for closing, prayer will be number seven 38. Take the name of Jesus with you. Mm mm. Take that off Name of Jesus with you child off Sato and have also it well, joy and comfort.<inaudible> you take it then wherever you go. Precious name O house. We<inaudible> precious<inaudible> house.

We<inaudible><inaudible> Oh, the precious name of cheese, a us. How with thrills, our souls with your boy when his lobbying arm<inaudible> and his songs are tongues implore, precious name. Oh, house. We hope<inaudible><inaudible> house. We need hope about that.<inaudible> would you bow with me? Our God and our father in heaven. We’re thankful for this privilege that we’ve had this morning together together as a church and to sing praises to the,

and to offer into the worship without worthy Lord, we ask that you would forgive us of our sins, that we asked that you would be with us during this pandemic. Keep us safe from the virus that is there and pray for the people of the world father, that you would keep them safe from this virus, thankful that you’ve given us a vaccine that’s going to help.

We asked that you would be with us as we go to our respective homes and remember that every day of our lives, we’re supposed to be Christians. We’re supposed to behave ourselves in that way. These things we ask in Christ’s name. Amen.