A sermon doesn’t mean anything without a display of power to back it up. After His sermon on the mount Jesus proves His words with His works.
Matthew 8: Jesus Cleanses a Leper
1 When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him.
2 And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean."
3 And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, "I will; be clean." And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
4 And Jesus said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a proof to them."
The Faith of a Centurion
5 When he entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him,
6 "Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly."
7 And he said to him, "I will come and heal him."
8 But the centurion replied, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed.
9 For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes, and to another, 'Come,' and he comes, and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."
10 When Jesus heard this, he marvelled and said to those who followed him, "Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith.
11 I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven,
12 while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
13 And to the centurion Jesus said, "Go; let it be done for you as you have believed." And the servant was healed at that very moment.
Jesus Heals Many
14 And when Jesus entered Peter's house, he saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever.
15 He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and began to serve him.
16 That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick.
17 This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: "He took our illnesses and bore our diseases."
The Cost of Following Jesus
18 Now when Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side.
19 And a scribe came up and said to him, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go."
20 And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head."
21 Another of the disciples said to him, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."
22 And Jesus said to him, "Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead."
Jesus Calms a Storm
23 And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him.
24 And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep.
25 And they went and woke him, saying, "Save us, Lord; we are perishing."
26 And he said to them, "Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?" Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.
27 And the men marvelled, saying, "What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?"
Jesus Heals Two Men with Demons
28 And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way.
29 And behold, they cried out, "What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?"
30 Now a herd of many pigs was feeding at some distance from them.
31 And the demons begged him, saying, "If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs."
32 And he said to them, "Go." So they came out and went into the pigs, and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters.
33 The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, especially what had happened to the demon-possessed men.
34 And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.
Matthew 9: Jesus Heals a Paralytic
1 And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to his own city.
2 And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven."
3 And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, "This man is blaspheming."
4 But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts?
5 For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise and walk'?
6 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"---he then said to the paralytic---"Rise, pick up your bed and go home."
7 And he rose and went home.
8 When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.
Jesus Calls Matthew
9 As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, "Follow me." And he rose and followed him.
10 And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples.
11 And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"
12 But when he heard it, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.
13 Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.' For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."
A Question About Fasting
14 Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?"
15 And Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.
16 No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made.
17 Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved."
A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed
18 While he was saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came in and knelt before him, saying, "My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live."
19 And Jesus rose and followed him, with his disciples.
20 And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment,
21 for she said to herself, "If I only touch his garment, I will be made well."
22 Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, "Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well." And instantly the woman was made well.
23 And when Jesus came to the ruler's house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion,
24 he said, "Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping." And they laughed at him.
25 But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.
26 And the report of this went through all that district.
Jesus Heals Two Blind Men
27 And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, "Have mercy on us, Son of David."
28 When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" They said to him, "Yes, Lord."
29 Then he touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith be it done to you."
30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, "See that no one knows about it."
31 But they went away and spread his fame through all that district.
Jesus Heals a Man Unable to Speak
32 As they were going away, behold, a demon-oppressed man who was mute was brought to him.
33 And when the demon had been cast out, the mute man spoke. And the crowds marvelled, saying, "Never was anything like this seen in Israel."
34 But the Pharisees said, "He casts out demons by the prince of demons."
The Harvest Is Plentiful, the Labourers Few
35 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction.
36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
37 Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few;
38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest."
Things to think about…
1. Jesus comes down from the mount and heals a leper and says to him “say nothing to anyone”, Mt 8:4. We know the crowds were following Jesus so there was no way this man was going to remain quiet. Yet that is what the leper was instructed to do. Do we obey Christ even when the crowd seems to know all about us? Only this man knew what it was like to live with leprosy. Only the Christian has a full understanding of the leprosy of sin. Let’s obey Christ regardless of the crowd’s perceived understanding on the subject of sin.
2. What an indictment on the Jews by Jesus in Mt 8:5-13. Jesus commends the Centurion’s faith and says He has not seen such faith in all Israel. Those who have faith will sit at a table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob but “the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into outer darkness”, vs 12. These are unbelieving Jews. There will be an earthly establishment of the Kingdom of Israel, but it will be one of faith in Christ. Secular Israel today, the ‘sons of the kingdom’ is not part of the kingdom of heaven, only those who have faith in Christ are the true sons – these will come from the east and the west, Mt 8:11.
3. Jesus heals Peter’s mother in law, Mt 8:15 and she immediately gets up to serve Him. Has Jesus healed you of your sin? Your only response now is to serve Him while you still have life. There is no easy believe-ism expressed by Jesus to the scribe and the man whose father had just died, Mt 8:19-22. Pray that we don’t try to widen the narrow way even when it is emotionally or culturally expedient to do so.
4. What sort of Man is this who is able to calm the wind and the waves, Mt 8:27? In a word – God! Even the demons knew this, vs 29. They begged Jesus to leave the region of the Gadarenes, Mt 8:34. Have you ever been told to keep quiet or leave because the name of Jesus was too confronting. Jesus left that region. Let’s never impose upon people a Person they have no desire to know.
5. In Mt 9 God’s power is clearly on display. Jesus in healing the physical shows He has power over the spiritual. He says to the paralytic ‘Your sins are forgiven’, Mt 9:1. This would have been blasphemous if it wasn’t true. Only God can heal sickness, only God can forgive sin. In what ways is the power of God being shown in your life? Speak on behalf of the Saviour that He also forgives sin if this is the case.
6. Look what happens when Jesus calls a Tax Collector – Matthew, Mt 9:9-13. Many more tax collectors and ‘sinners’ join them for dinner. These are the ones who need a doctor. Who are the tax collectors and sinners – the outcasts in our city? Let’s invite them to dine with Christ – the physician of the soul. May our Lord be calling many from our city.
7. Jesus is the new wine and the new wine skin. The law was fulfilled through him. Let’s not go back to doing things just because they worked in the past. Jesus is always relevant, but evangelism and discipleship formats change. What new thing is the Lord showing us in the church that we need to recognise and follow? The Word of course remains the same.
8. Jesus was touched by the woman and she was healed, Mt 9:20-22 The father of the dead girl needs Jesus to touch her to be healed. Whether we act because we have faith or others call for Jesus on behalf of those who cannot help themselves, the Answer is still the same, Christ is the Healer. Let’s see God heal both inside and outside our church and among our families. May God increase our love for the lost.
9. Jesus still gives sight to the blind today and He heals those who are mute spiritually to speak of His salvation, Mt 9:27-34. Pray for your blind and spiritually mute friends that they may see and speak of the Saviour’s love.
10. Jesus said there is a harvest to be had, Mt 9:37,38. We are praying for revival. Jesus says all we need are labourers to make it happen. As those who are already called to labour, let’s do so, so that we will see a harvest in our day. What a promise.
VisionPoint! For cell groups from Sunday morning’s message.
CBC’s Vision :- To be a growing biblical church community, significantly influencing our city and beyond, through intentional outreach, fulfilling our mission..
Questions for Cell groups
Sunday’s sermon, “Joseph just like Jesus” came from Gen 50 by Graham Willey.
1. Joseph’s life reflected many qualities and characteristics of Jesus. Joseph is seen as a type of Christ. In what ways do you think this to be true?
2. Joseph was blessed in the 3 periods of his life whether he was in Potiphar’s house, the prison or the palace. What are the challenges to modern Christians and Christianity when studying the life of Joseph and accepting the Lord’s seasons in our lives.
3. Joseph’s brothers were still concerned after Jacob (Israel) had died that Joseph would deal harshly with him. Joseph’s response is given in Gen 50:20, 21. Explain the significance of this verse in your own life.
4. After Israel lived 400 years in Egypt in slavery, they brought Joseph’s bones back to Israel. They were laid to rest at Shechem where Jacob and his family went astray before moving to Bethel. Shechem (modern day Nablus) is still in conflict today. Joseph’s tomb was ransacked in 2016. Israel is still a divided land between Jews and Arabs. They need unity in Christ. Joseph lived successfully with the Lord’s blessing in pagan Egypt. His identity in the Lord gave him this freedom. How can we do the same.
5. Pray for your cell group and prayer/praise points. Pray for our “Blessing Beirut” appeal as we endeavour to help these ‘sons of Abraham’.
Prayer Points
1.Pray for Lebanon and the people of Beirut with this accidental blast from the storage of ammonium nitrate. 157 confirmed dead. 5000 wounded, 300, 000 left homeless. $10 - $15 billion to rebuild.
2. Continue to pray for Victoria, numbers of infections are going down, but unfortunately deaths, especially in aged care facilities, has risen sharply.
4.Continue to pray for our government for wisdom and economic management.
6.Sunday’s messages. The message this week – “Where did God come from?” Matt 1 – Ps Jay.
7.Church finances to meet our expenses and to put a roof over our café.
8.Our City and Country – Pray for revival over our city and the leadership of our country even through these challenging times.
Praise Points.
1.Finances continue to be maintained.
2.Wonderful spirit of joy in our church. Thankyou Jesus.
3. Donations to Café roof ($5,145) and Blessing Beirut ($900). Thankyou!
5.Unity, peace and grace at CBC.
6.Praise God for all those who serve at CBC.
Announcements
1.Prayer meetings Tuesday and Thursday mornings 5:30 -6:30am at Church
2.We have established a “Blessing Beirut” fund. After prayer and seeking after a support partner the Lord has led us to Ras Beirut Baptist. We have received word back from them. Pray our gift would bless Beirut with the gospel.
3.One service at 9:30am Every Sunday morning. This service will also be live streamed on Youtube. No kisses, hand-shakes or hugs are allowed. Hand sanitizer is to be used, tables will be wiped and chairs arranged for appropriate distancing. Families can of course sit together. CBC is allowed up to 50 people inside, then we have an overflow in the cafe.
4.Cell groups – Ask for details as to how and what is required.
5.Church bank details bsb:- 704 913 and Acc number:- 4000 4388 1
6.Kids Church will be run in the house when the message starts.
