CLARITY CHURCH PODCAST
Matthew 16:13-28 "When the Problem is Me"
11/16/25
Series: The Book of Matthew
“When the Problem is Me”
Text: Matthew 16:13-28
Speaker: Phillip Santillan
Clarity Church gathers every Sunday at 10:00am at Edinbrook Elementary School in Brooklyn Park, MN https://claritychurch.org/messages
https://claritychurch.org/podcast/2025/11/16/matthew-16-13-28-when-the-problem-is-me
TRANSCRIPT:
Before we jump into today's passage of scripture, I want to share an amazing book that I have
come across recently.
Any book people here?
Book people?
Book people?
Go ahead and put that picture on the screen.
Here it is.
Right here.
Yeah.
Highly Ineffective Life.
Yeah.
It's called the Highly Ineffective Life.
If you can't read the subtitle, it says a self-help guide for people who prefer not
to improve.
Okay?
And, yes, before you ask, this is absolutely a real book, a real book, that I made up.
It's a real book that I made up.
It's self-serving, I know, but every time I look at this image, it just makes me laugh.
I don't know about you, but if I accidentally saw this in the self-help section of Amazon,
some of you are just finally reading the, like, yes, I had a lot of fun making this
graphic.
It was a lot of fun.
If I accidentally saw, I don't know about you, but if I accidentally saw this in the
self-help section on Amazon, I'd be tempted to think of a few people that I could swear
have already read this book.
You know what I'm saying?
Don't say the name.
Don't say the name.
Don't say the name.
But, you know, you're like, hmm, they probably have a PhD in the ineffective life.
I mean, most people have heard of books like The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.
That book sold millions of copies, right?
For some reason, no one has ever wrote the book The Seven Habits of the People Who Gave
Up After Habit Number Two.
No one wrote, you've heard of the book called Atomic Habits, right?
Atomic Habits.
Nobody wrote the book Atomic Distractions.
Or how many of you have ever heard the How to Win Friends and Influence People, right?
No one ever wrote the book How to Lose Friends and Influence Nobody, right?
And so I decided I would make one up, and this is my attempt at a funny book, and listen,
the funny thing, as silly as this fake book is, the title probably resonates with us more
than we would like to admit.
Even though none of us would buy a book like this, many of us know what it feels like to
live in the constant tension between the life that we want and the one that keeps getting
interrupted.
Life that we hope to attain and the life that is always running around in circles, feeling
like it's going nowhere.
And this is because, at the end of the day, all of us want a life that feels like it's
effective.
And maybe you don't say it like that, you don't say, like, I want an effective life.
You don't say that.
Maybe for you, you want a life that has purpose, like, I want to have purpose in life.
Or a life that feels, at a minimum, like, I don't like those buzzwords, I'm not that
kind of person, I just live one day at a time.
You're probably the kind of person that says, well, like, yeah, you live one day at a time,
but you at least hope, at a minimum, that each day feels like it's getting a little
bit better one day at a time.
Or at least, when things go bad, at least from there, they will, what, improve.
A life that's moving forward instead of spinning in circles, a life where you feel like you're
becoming who you're supposed to be, right?
This is what we want.
And this is why books about motivation, productivity, and effectiveness sell so well.
In fact, you know, I began this journey in my 20s reading, like, leadership books and
productivity books, and I was just eating it all up, and if you ever go to my home office,
you'll see, like, just a stack full of walls, and yes, I have read them all.
Just all about that kind of thing.
And then, after about, like, several hundreds of books after reading them, I just realized
that there's a new one coming out, and there's a new one coming out, and there's a new one,
and I read it, and I'm like, it's good stuff, it's the same stuff, it's good stuff, it's
the same stuff, but why are they still selling, and why are people still writing them?
Why?
Because we still need to hear it.
Because it taps into a little desire that all of us have.
And what is that?
Well, at the end of the day, none of us want to be people who are ineffective.
None of us want to be the kind of people who feel stuck in life.
Nobody wants to feel like they're living a life that feels like it's not going where
it's supposed to be.
We all want to feel like we're going somewhere, that something is being made of our life,
right?
And as much as many of us feel frustrated when people or circumstances interrupt our
plans, we also feel frustrated when God, or at least when it feels like God, is interrupting
our own plans.
And before you find yourself jumping on the Amen Brother train, there's an uncomfortable
question that we all rarely ask in these kind of situations.
What if the thing getting in the way of what God wants to do is not a circumstance or it's
a problem, or even like a person we know?
Here's the awkward question.
Here's the awkward question.
What if the thing getting in God's way is me?
That's a question we sometimes don't ask when like, why does life feel stuck?
What if the thing getting in God's way is me?
Now the honor of being the pastor of a small church is that I can confidently say that
I know most of you here have decided to follow Jesus.
You like me have made a lifelong commitment to increasingly learn to trust Jesus as master
and savior.
But our efforts to put these messages online have allowed us to reach an audience of people
who are still deciding whether or not they believe everything they've heard about Jesus
in the Bible.
In fact, I don't know if you know this as recently, but I've been sending out these
emails and then trying to work really hard at least putting out the messages consistently
and even creating these like little shorts.
And what's been absolutely amazing is I've been trying to do this faithfully over the
past six months is there have been people that who are watching and they're reaching
out to me.
I just had lunch, I had coffee with someone, just some random person who found it and hopefully
we're going to get connected.
I connected via Christina, but there are people who are listening to these messages that I
don't know who they are and I don't know whether they decided to believe everything they've
heard about Jesus in the Bible and listen, again, I want to say like I feel like I know
everybody here, but if that defines where you're at in your current journey of faith,
like you're like, I mean, I do believe in God, man, like at this juncture, like I do
have some doubts because we all do.
We all do.
I want you to know that you're welcome to bring all of that to our gatherings like this.
In fact, I love this passage of scripture for those who are skeptical or maybe even
unsure about faith in Jesus because it gives us an honest picture of what Jesus actually
asks of those who decide to follow him.
Like if you want to know, like, what does it mean to follow Jesus?
Jesus gives a real, very clear, very simple picture of what that looks like.
And that's why I love this.
And so if you're wondering, like, what is this whole Jesus thing is about, then what
Jesus has to say is actually really clarifying.
But back to our question.
What if the thing getting in the way of God is me?
What if the thing getting in God's way is me?
Well, here's the good news.
Here's the good news.
God is not a bulldozer who forces his way through people.
In fact, God often allows himself to be interrupted.
Think about that.
Now, before you're like, I don't think so, let's look at the gospels really quick.
In John 2 verse 1, we find Jesus being nudged by his own mother.
I know you're God in flesh.
We ran out of wine.
And he's like, woman.
Maybe he didn't say it like that.
But in the text, it says, like, you know, woman, my time has not come yet, right, interrupting
the flow.
And he's like, OK, fine, mom, because you're my mom, I'll do this for you, right?
Being interrupted.
There's friends who are lowering a paralytic through the roof in the middle of Jesus' teaching
in Mark chapter 2.
Jesus is in the middle of teaching.
And all of a sudden, the roof caves in.
Didn't anybody get the message?
You're not supposed to do that before and after the gathering, right?
Disciples interrupt him during his early morning prayer in Mark chapter 1.
Jesus is praying solitary by himself, and the disciples just bust in like, Jesus, oh,
sorry, everybody's looking for you.
You gotta come now.
And Jesus is like, OK, right?
And these are just to name a few.
The truth is that God allows interruptions.
And many of us actually, if we're honest with ourselves, many of us have actually met Jesus
in a moment where the plans of our lives were interrupted, right?
Many of us, in fact, had come to Jesus' moments when our life was disrupted.
But still, for those of us who are following Jesus, we don't want to find ourselves in
a position where Jesus needs to look at us and say, you, move!
Get out the way!
Sorry.
That's the song that came to my head.
Forgive me, Jesus.
I'm getting in the way this morning.
If you don't know that song, do not Google it.
Do not Google it.
What our passage of scripture today shows us is how, man, I just really, I can't believe
I sang that song.
I'm going to get canceled.
What our passage of scripture today shows us is how that can actually happen.
Where Jesus looks at us and says, hey, you're kind of in the way here.
But it also gives us a clue on how we can avoid it, right?
The difference between a life that participates in the mission of Jesus and a life that stands
in his way often comes down to this simple truth.
His way, not my way.
His way, not my way.
Matthew chapter 16 verse 13, where we're picking up where we left off, starts like
this.
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, who do
people say the son of man is?
If you're wondering, there's always been confusion about who Jesus is.
There always has been.
Some ideas are positive, some are negative, some are respectful, but incomplete.
But here's what the disciples reported in Jesus' answer, in Jesus' question, in answer
to Jesus' question.
They replied, some say John the Baptist, others, Elijah, great prophet, still others, Jeremiah
or one of the prophets.
These answers aren't very different than they are today when people are asked, well, who's
Jesus, right?
A good moral teacher, a revolutionary spiritual guide, a prophet, an inspiring figure.
And before you find your inspiring figures, I was going to get in trouble with these paper
things.
But then Jesus asked them a question that every person, whether they realize it or not,
answers in their life.
He asked him this question, verse 15, but you, he asked him, who do you say that I am?
From what I can only imagine to be a moment of absolute awkward silence broken by the
only person in the scripture who consistently wasn't afraid to speak his mind, we see one
of the disciples with the courage to actually answer Jesus.
Verse 16, it says this, Simon Peter answered, well, you are the Messiah, the son of the
living God.
And Jesus responded, blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did
not reveal this to you, but my father in heaven.
So Peter confesses Jesus's identity correctly.
Good job, buddy.
What happens next?
Listen, shows us something important, that a person can accurately confess who Jesus
is, but inaccurately understand what Jesus is trying to accomplish.
Those two can be in one person's aura, as the kids say, but now we're getting ahead
of ourselves.
Let's look at what Jesus says next in verse 18, and I also say to you that you are Peter,
and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.
If you're someone who is a Bible scholar, you study the Bible a lot, or even if you've
been around me a lot, I've shown this word for church is this word, ecclesia, this Greek
word, ecclesia, which basically describes an assembly or a gathering of people.
It was not a very spiritual word, it was just a word that meant a gathering of people.
And I would imagine that those of you who have been around church for some time have
heard this and the following statement that has been popularly used in pulpits over the
last ten years, and a saying that I have used over the last ten years, which is this,
the church is not a building, right, or a brand, or an event you go to, but the church
is what, a people.
The church is what, people.
It's not here's the church, no, here's the steeple, open it up, there are people, no,
here's the building, here's the steeple, open it up, there's the church, right, that's
the church.
Now, you've heard that, but you know what I love about studying the Bible is, you know,
I don't care how long you've been studying it, there's always things to learn.
And in fact, I felt really stupid because this word is actually something I've studied
many times for you, how many times have I talked about this idea of the church?
Over and over again, and I've looked at this, and so I was going over word studies just
mine the passage, like, oh, there's something cool I can give you today, and then I did
not think it would come from this word, ecclesia.
I don't know if you knew this, maybe you did, and shame on you for not telling me.
Did you know that the English word for church doesn't actually come from this word, ecclesia?
Did you know that?
Did you know that?
It actually came from a different Greek word that means belonging to the Lord, it means
belonging to the Lord, and I'm not going to try to bore you with the details, but over
time, in fact, in the Septuagint, some of you know what the Septuagint is, it's the
Greek translation of the Old Testament, and in the Old Testament, whenever the word congregation
was talked about, it used this word that, and I don't have the word written down because
I couldn't pronounce it, I wasn't going to try to butcher it, but that's, it sounds,
This is where the Old English translated and eventually makes it to this German word that
we get kirche, right, and this is where we get the word church, and I'm not going to
try to bore you, but this Old English word was a word that eventually was a word that
represented a place, not a people, and this was a problem, in fact, this was one of the
reasons why, I don't know if you know who William Tyndale is, you know anyone who William
Tyndale is, he was someone who tried, he was considered a heretic, and in fact, he was
burned at the stake, right, but he wanted to translate the Bible accurately in a vernacular
that everyone understood, and that's why in his 1526 translation of this word, ecclesia,
he actually refused to translate the word to church, instead, he wanted to recover the
original meaning of assembly, and he used the word congregation, and then, of course,
in 1611, under King James' direction, the translators of the King James Bible were
instructed to restore ecclesiastical terms like church, rather than congregation, and
words like bishop, rather than elder, and these translation choices, because they aligned
with King James' strong convictions about the structure of the Church of England, which
he believed supported the political stability and reinforced the monarchy, and that the
monarchy was something divinely given by God, so there's a lot of history, this is why I
always laugh, and people are like, I'm King James only, 1611, like, oh, okay, well, you
didn't look into the history, really, too much of that, there's a lot of it, but all
that to say, there has been confusion about what the church is for, about what the church
is, what the church is for centuries, and much of that comes from the history of this
word, ecclesia, but when Jesus uses this term, ecclesia, he's clear, he says, I will build
my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it, the church belongs to
him, the church is built by him, and the church is a people who confess him as Messiah, but
then Jesus also makes this statement in verse 19, I will give you the keys of the kingdom
of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever
on earth will have been loosed in heaven. Again, we have less time than would take to
explore the hundreds of debates and scholarly work regarding what Jesus was alluding to
with the keys of the kingdom, and binding and loosing, and, but what I, if you're just
asking me, like, Phil, just give me the CliffsNote version, this is the CliffsNote version, what
I think is important to see in the context of all of what Jesus is trying to say is this,
and it's this, that the church is an empowered people who carry out the mission of heaven
here on earth. It's an oversimplification for those of you who studied this passage for
sure, but that is basically, in the context of what Jesus is saying, he's saying the church,
listen, I'm giving you the keys of the kingdom, and what is loosed here, basically he's saying,
you're going to have everything that you need, as I've taught you to pray, to bring
the realities of the kingdom as it is in heaven here on earth. So don't worry, you're going
to have that power. In other words, Jesus builds this church through those who choose
his way, not their own. And then Jesus gives his disciples what would seem like a weird
command, but actually reveals a lot about what is true about this period in history.
Verse 20, then he gave his disciples orders to tell no one that he was the Messiah. That's
just weird, I don't know if you ever read that, it always catches me weird, and I know,
we know the end from the beginning, we read the Bible knowing the end from the beginning,
that Jesus is the Messiah, and that we sometimes, but here's the thing, we sometimes miss the
reality that the majority of people widely accepted during this time that Jesus was anything
but the Messiah. I know that's hard to think, but you just have to realize it. Why does
a verse like this exist? It's to give us perspective. Everyone wasn't going, this guy is the Messiah.
It just was the few. It was his disciples. Jesus had to give instructions not to tell
anyone because nobody knew this would be crazy news. Now, we go on, and Jesus explains what
it means for him to be the Messiah, and verse 21 he says this, from then on Jesus began
to point out to his disciples that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem and suffer
many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed and raised on the third
day. Now this, of course, was no surprising plot twist for Jesus. This was his mission.
He knew this was what he came to do, but not everyone saw it the same. Not everyone liked
this road. This is definitely not a road that they were saying, God bless that broken road,
right? And not everyone understood this kind of Messiah that Jesus was talking about regarding
himself. What do you mean? Persecuted? No, no, the religious leaders are going to go
like, yeah, welcome, welcome, we've been reading about you in Isaiah, we've been reading
about you in Jeremiah, yeah, welcome, that's not what it's going to be like. Not everyone
saw it the same way. Not everyone liked it. Some say he was bold, other would say Peter
was just always reckless with his words, and sometimes this would allow him to be the first
to say something that would make Jesus say, blessed are you. But then there was this Peter
who said this in verse 22, Peter took him aside. I just even love that picture. Who are you?
Hey, guys, I'm just going to take Jesus up here. Jesus, come here. I need to let you know
something. Other guys don't need to know. I know you kind of embarrassed yourself out there,
Jesus, saying that kind of stuff. You don't know. I mean, you know. Maybe it's a test.
I'm going to prove I'm the rock. That will never happen to you, Jesus. Come on. You're
Jesus. You're Jesus. And he says, Oh, no, Lord, this will never happen to you. Now,
Peter has the right Messiah, but he has the wrong mission. He agrees with who Jesus is,
but he disagrees with what Jesus came to do, or at least he disagrees with what Jesus came
to do. He disagrees with what Jesus came to do, or at least he disagrees with what Jesus
came to do, or at least how Jesus was going to do what he was going to do. Peter wants
victory without suffering. Peter wants mission that doesn't cost anything. Peter wants a
crown without a cross. Peter wants Jesus to follow his expectations. So how does Jesus
respond to this? Oh, he's patient. He's kind. And he's going to go, Oh, Peter, you have
been severely misguided. Oh, poor you. No, Jesus was not a gentle parent. I'm not saying
that's not a statement against gentle parenting. I'm not trying to cause it. But I'm just
saying all the kinds of things that are coming off the top of my head today. We'll just have
to scratch this whole podcast. I'm just going to offend everybody. What does Jesus say?
Well, Jesus is about to offend somebody. He says this, Get behind me, Satan. Jesus is
not calling Peter Satan, by the way. He is naming the influence behind Peter's thinking.
Or as one Bible scholar put it, for Peter to be addressed by this obnoxious name must
have been deeply wounding, especially after the accolade in verses 17 and 19. There is
no parallel to such an address to a human being. No parallel. No one has ever been
attributed to Satan. But this is not merely extravagant abuse. I like how he put that.
The choice of this epithet suggests rather that behind the human thoughts of Peter, Jesus
discerns an attempt, and here's the point, to divert him from his chosen course, similar
to that which Satan himself have made, as referring to the temptation of the wilderness.
So, when you consider that, it makes sense. It's almost like Jesus has a little bit of
PTSD. I remember the last time someone tried to do this to me. His name was Satan. So get
behind me, Satan. You do not have the ways of the Lord. You're a hindrance because you're
not thinking about God's concerns, but human concerns. Verse 23, that's what he says. In
other words, Peter is trying to lead Jesus rather than follow Jesus. Peter wants Jesus
to walk Peter's way instead of walking the way of the Father. Peter has stepped in front
of Jesus instead of getting behind. Now, for those of us who've decided to follow Jesus,
there will always be moments when what Jesus wants and what we want, they don't line up.
It's just always going to be that. And listen, if you're someone who hasn't decided what
you believe about Jesus, this shows you, here's a cool thing. This shows you that Jesus is
not the kind of leader who adjusts his mission based on people's preferences. What he does
is he says, look, you want to go there? Fine. Listen, I'm the way. I'm the truth. I'm the
life. You want to go see the Father? Come on. It's through me. And by the way, everyone's
invited. Everyone can come. Everyone can die, as we'll find out later, and trust in me.
And you can be part of what I'm actually doing. Now, having roasted Peter in front of everybody,
because that's what he did, I think Jesus sees this window open up to maybe become an equal
opportunity offender, and now turns all of his attention to his disciples. And if we
are daring enough to admit it, I believe that Jesus, what he says to his disciples is what
he would want to say to each and every one of us. And what does he say? Well, in verse
4, Jesus said to his disciples, if anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself,
take up his cross. Now, this doesn't mean deny the existence of your worth. It means
denying the belief that you are the center of the universe. Right? This doesn't mean
like you're worthless. It just means like you're not the most important thing. Hear
me out. Our world says be true to yourself. Jesus says deny yourself. Not because he
wants to erase your identity, but Jesus says deny yourself because he wants to transform
your identity. He says deny yourself not because he can't make any good out of the self, but
because he knows that the self is actually a very terrible God. He knows that you and
I make gods for our self that always disappoint. And instead he says take up your cross. This
is not about minor irritations. It's not about your coworker or the new property tax assessments
that got handed out to everybody recently or the weather. The cross was a symbol of
death. It represented surrender. It represented cost. And I love what R.T. France said regarding
his passage when he wrote this simple phrase, discipleship is a life of at least potential
martyrdom. Discipleship is a life embracing like I could and I'm open to dying for what
I believe. That definitely is not the American gospel. Come follow Jesus. So you can die.
And then Jesus says this, follow me. Follow me. Verse 24. Not follow your idea of me. Not
follow cultural Christianity. Not follow your preferences. Follow me. Walk the road I walked.
And Jesus goes on to say, in verse 25, excuse me. Oh my goodness. I'm just going to throw this
whole message away. Maybe preach it in a podcast. Verse 25. For whoever wants to save his life
will lose it. Whoever loses his life because of me will find it. This is probably the most
self-explanatory verse in our passage of scripture today but I think it's worth entertaining what
one Bible scholar had to say in his commentary of this passage when he wrote this. Jesus is not
telling his disciples that if they learn to live unselfishly they will live more satisfying lives.
Rather he says that any sacrifices they make must be done for his sake. The crosses they bear must
be the ones determined by his own cross. And then Jesus asks two questions and we're going to be
done here. I know I'm over. Apologize. Verse 26. For what benefit will it, for what, for what will
it benefit someone if he gains the world yet loses his life? Or what will anyone give in exchange
for his life? For the son of man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his father and
then he will reward each according to what he has done. Truly I tell you there are some standing here
who will not taste death until they see the son of man coming to his kingdom. What benefit will it
gain you? A person can build the most successful life. A person can gain everything that society
tells us we're supposed to chase. But if the direction of that life is still my way and not his way,
Jesus says this. We lose the thing that matters the most. It's because the Jesus I confess must be the
Jesus I follow. The Jesus I confess must be the Jesus that I follow. And he calls us to walk the road
that he walked, not the one we wished he had walked. This is what he does. He calls us to walk the road
that he walked, not the one we wished he'd walked. And what is that road? Well, it's his way. Not my way. His way.
Not my way. After reading a passage like this, what kinds of things are you challenged with?
I don't know about you, but here are a few thoughts that I wanted to share with you as I prepared this
message thinking of each of you today. First, a couple questions. Where are you currently saying what Peter
said? Oh, no, Lord. Not that way. Or where are you tempted to say that? Maybe another way to put it is this.
Where are you repeating Peter's instinct to lead instead of follow? Where are you following Peter's
instinct to be like, I got this? God gave me a brain, so I'm going to use it? Instead of saying, Oh, Lord, I have no clue.
God help me. Lead me. I will follow. Where might Jesus be inviting you to shift away from my way to his way?
Maybe it's control. Maybe you have a mental blueprint of your life and Jesus keeps disrupting it at Jesus.
He's really good at saving people from sins, but he just does not know how to get in line. Maybe it's comfort.
You want faith to give you peace, right? But you don't want peace to ask too much from you. You want peace in your life,
but like, I don't want to have to pay too much for it. Or maybe it's identity. You want a Jesus who fits your preferences
instead of the Jesus who leads you. You're looking for the Jesus to affirm you instead of the Jesus that wants to transform you.
Maybe it's mission. Maybe it's mission. You want Jesus to bless your plans rather than to lead you into his.
Maybe it's community. You believe the church is a people, but you also, you kind of like church to function like a spiritual service provider
instead of a family that kind of keeps you accountable and asks you to join arms in joining Jesus in his mission in the world to make disciples.
I just want a program for people who like to, I don't know, I'm trying to make up some weird ministry that you see,
like the people who like this, I'm totally going to offend somebody if I say this. Let's go for it anyways.
I want the scrapbooking ministry. Someone's like, I started one of those when I was in 20s. Right? Where is that?
You just want that kind of church. Or maybe it's obedience. Maybe it's obedience. There's something that Jesus has asked of you.
He's asked you to show forgiveness. Maybe it's confession. He's asking you to serve someone.
Maybe he's asking you to reconcile a relationship. Maybe he's asking you to surrender something that you're holding on to.
Maybe he's asking you to take a step of faith, but you're still negotiating.
And he's been asking you this for like weeks, months, maybe years. And if this is you, you know what it is.
And you're still negotiating with him. You're like, okay, but you know, if you do this, and you've thrown out a hundred fleeces,
Okay, God, if this is you, then do this. And then he like answers it. And you're like, okay, okay, that's a good one, God.
All right. Well, I'm still not sure. And you know, you know me, I've got anxiety, God.
So you're really going to have to come through with this. And so you just have to literally, really, really, really let me know.
Like force me. No. Then it's not obedience.
And God is not a dictator. He's a gentleman.
Where is Jesus calling you to trust him and confess with your life his way?
Not my way. Because the Jesus you confess must be the Jesus you follow.
He calls you to walk the road he walked and not the one you wished he walked.
And the invitation of Jesus is the same today as it was 2000 years ago.
Follow me. My way, not your way. Trust me with your life.
For those who have decided that they are not sure whether they believe everything in the Bible, here's what you need to know.
Jesus does not pressure people into belief.
As someone who loves Jesus with all my heart, sometimes I wish he really would.
Because I feel like it would make life really easier.
Just make everyone believe in you. Please, Jesus. Just let them see the truth.
But that's not the way of their master.
He does, though. He invites. He invites people.
And if you sense a pull towards trusting in Jesus, I would just say, like, you should pay attention to that.
And then for those of us who've decided to follow Jesus and are increasingly learning to trust him with our lives,
Jesus calls us to take our place.
Like, this is a reminder. Hey, our place is to follow, not to lead.
To daily remind ourselves, his way, not my way.
Matthew 15:29-16:12 "Resisting the Idol of Compassion"
11/9/25
Series: The Book of Matthew
Resisting the Idol of Compassion
Text: Matthew 15:29-16:12
Speaker: Phillip Santillan
Clarity Church gathers every Sunday at 10:00am at Edinbrook Elementary School in Brooklyn Park, MN
11/9/25
Series: The Book of Matthew
Resisting the Idol of Compassion
Text: Matthew 15:29-16:12
Speaker: Phillip Santillan
Clarity Church gathers every Sunday at 10:00am at Edinbrook Elementary School in Brooklyn Park, MN
https://claritychurch.org/messages
https://claritychurch.org/podcast/202509/matthew-1529-1612-resisting-the-idol-of-compassion
SERMON TRANSCRIPT
Matthew chapter fifteen is where we're going to be today. I don't know about you, but I'm excited to be back in the book of Matthew. Hopefully we will eventually finish this book. This this book. Oh, man. Well, if you, uh, if you scroll through social media for five minutes, you'll see story after story about kindness. You'll see things that people say like, hey, be kind. Pay it forward, do good. And we live in a culture that celebrates compassion. It's inspiring, it's shareable, and it feels right. And honestly, that's a good thing, right? It's a good thing. And the world could use a little more kindness. But somewhere along the way, we started confusing compassion itself for the highest good. Just be a good person, we say, as if kindness alone could fix what's broken in this world. We've created what you might call the gospel of kindness, a message that says that if we are simply nice enough to people, helpful enough to people, or generous enough, you know, that'll make everything all right. The problem is that kindness by itself can't save anyone. It can feed someone for a day. It can ease a moment of pain, but it can't reconcile a heart to God. Now, don't get me wrong. Compassion is absolutely beautiful. But compassion was never meant to be the destination compassion is supposed to be. If I could say a signpost pointing somewhere, pointing specifically to someone. And that's exactly what Matthew wants us to see as we jump right back into chapter fifteen of the Gospel of Matthew. This is what he wants us to see as we step into this next part of the gospel, Jesus shows deep, undeniable compassion. But every act of compassion reveals something greater. It actually reveals this. Who he truly is. Jesus doesn't just feed the hungry or heal the broken because he's a good guy. He's swell like that. He does it because he is the Messiah, the Savior, the one who brings God's King. Listen. He brings God's kingdom as it is in heaven here on earth. And he brings it not only to the Jews and the Gentiles, but he brings it to insiders and outsiders alike. And as followers of Jesus, we don't show compassion just to feel good about ourselves, or to build a reputation for being someone who's kind. We practice compassion because it's how the world sees who Jesus is through us. In fact, I would say compassion is something that is flowing out of the person who is passionately pursuing Jesus. It's actually not a negotiable. It's actually one of the fruits of the spirit as we look in Galatians. And so we join him in his mission to reveal himself to those who are far from God. And so today we're going to look at a section of Matthew's gospel that shows us what real compassion looks like, compassion that goes beyond good deeds and points people to the Savior of the world. Now, before we dive into the text today, let's just take a moment to remember where we've been, because I know, uh, we've been walking through the Gospel of Matthew now for over two years. Some of you remember we started this in October of twenty twenty three, and sometimes we've been doing it week by week, sometimes with breaks in between. But all along, if you've been with us, you know this, that Matthew has been painting a single unfolding picture, which is what? It's this. Who is Jesus? He's answering that question. He's answering this question, Who is Jesus? From the very first chapter of Matthew tells us Jesus is the Son of David, the long awaited king, and he's also the Son of Abraham. You'll see this long genealogy, and he does this so that he could tell his readers that the one through whom God promised is to bless all nations. In other words, from the opening lines of the Gospel of Matthew, the story was never meant to stay inside the borders of Israel. God's heart has always been for the nations. And so he tells us really from the beginning of his letter. But as we step into this part, this really the second half of the Gospel of Matthew, we begin to see this unfold. And then Matthew shows us how Jesus fulfills Israel's story like Moses. Jesus comes out of Egypt. Some of you know the story. Like Israel, he passes through the waters in his baptism. Like the prophets. He goes into the wilderness to be tested. And when he begins his public ministry, he announces that the kingdom of heaven has arrived. Not a political kingdom, by the way. Not a national revival, but God's rule breaking into human history through him. And so, from chapters five to seven, we see Jesus teach on a hillside from the sermon on the Mount, as we like to call it, where he revealed what life under God's rule and reign actually looks like. And what he does is he calls people to a righteousness that isn't just about keeping rules and regulations, but it's actually about hearts transformed by the grace of God. Blessed are those who are poor. Blessed are those who suffer. Blessed are those who are the meek. He turns the kingdom upside down. And then from chapters eight to ten, Matthew shows Jesus putting that kingdom into action, right? He shows what people who are poor in spirit do who, who, who have hearts that are broken over the brokenness of sin and what's going on. And so not only does he he he forgives sin, but he goes and he heals sickness, and he calms storms. And then he sends us out. He sends his disciples out to do the same. And every miracle, every word, every moment, every moment was revealing what his authority as the king who brings heaven to earth. But as we continue through the Gospel of Matthew, we find that not everyone received this right. By the time we hit chapter eleven, opposition began to rise when religious leaders started to question him. Even John the Baptist, his own cousin, wondered whether or not Jesus was real. Like, are you really the Messiah? I mean, I mean, I've been telling everybody that you are, but I'm not quite sure. And through and through parables. In chapter thirteen, Jesus explains why some hearts receive the kingdom while others reject it. And then in chapters fourteen and fifteen, we see that tension increase. Jesus feeds five thousand people. If you remember where we left off a few months ago and mostly Jews, right? In this scenario, he's mostly feeding Jews on on the side of the Sea of Galilee, showing himself to be the shepherd who provides for God's people. But then, in an unexpected move, he travels north into Gentile territory and he meets a Canaanite woman. Do you remember the story? A foreigner, an outsider who who pleads for mercy for her daughter? And when she responds in faith, Jesus does what he heals her child, a Gentile. And it's a turning point. It's the first time in Matthew's gospel that Jesus openly demonstrates that his compassion and his power are not limited just to the Jewish people. And that's where we pick up today in Matthew chapter fifteen, verse twenty nine, we start and we're going to go all the way to verse twelve and chapter sixteen. And so when we pick up here, Jesus is still in this Gentile territory. In fact, Mark will tell us that he will he will head a little bit west and he'll head to the Decapolis. And so he's surrounded by people who have never set foot in a temple. Right. So what does this mean? He's he's surrounded by people who've never set foot in a temple, never followed the law, don't even know what the law is. never called themselves the people of God. If anything, they called themselves the people of God. And here, in this unexpected place that we is, is where we see Jesus's compassion revealed, uh, revealing his true identity, which is what? He's the Messiah. Not just for Israel, but as John three sixteen will tell us for the entire what world? So let's look at this Matthew chapter fifteen, starting at verse twenty nine. It says this. Moving on from there, Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee. He went up on a mountain and sat there. And large crowds came to him, including the lame, the blind, the crippled, those unable to speak, and many others. They put them at his feet, and he healed them. And so the crowd was amazed when they saw that those unable to speak, talking the crippled restored, the lame walking, the blind seeing. And they gave glory to the God of Israel. Now, as I said before, Matthew doesn't tell us directly, but but Mark does. In chapter seven, Jesus is now in the region of what's called Decapolis or ten cities, and it's a cluster of mostly gentile cities east of the Sea of Galilee. And so this scene isn't happening in Jerusalem or even in Galilee. It's actually happening among people considered outsiders to Israel's covenant story. Now, why is that important? Because Matthew is showing that Jesus isn't just a Jewish teacher visiting a Gentile crowd, Gentile a Gentile crowd out of pity. He's actually the Messiah, extending the blessing of God's kingdom beyond ethnic Israel. And what happens here deliberately echoes what the prophet Isaiah had to say. Remember, remember, Matthew is writing to primarily a Jewish audience, and they would have known this. They would have known this, this, this, this, this, this, this, uh, this portion of Scripture in Isaiah where it says, and when he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind. Unplug the ears of the deaf. The lame will leap like a deer, and those who cannot speak will not sing for joy. So for Matthew's readers, the words that Matthew chose to use here as he talks about what Jesus does, would have unmistakably brought to mind a passage from the prophet Isaiah that every God fearing Jew would have been, would have been. They would have been told about this since they were little ones, they would have known this. And what was so special about these miracles were they were messianic signs. What does this have to do? Well, this this passage of Isaiah speaks of a Savior. And so these, these these signs when, when, when, when Matthew talks about this, he's he's giving the evidence that God's promise. Redeemer was there. This person Jesus was the one we were looking for. But here's the plot twist in the story. Those signs are appearing in Gentile territory. See, the Jews always thought this would happen among them. You know, this is this would happen among them. But now Matthew's uttering these messianic prophecies among a people who they thought were unredeemable the Gentiles, the lowest of the low, the, the, the classless of the classless people. In other words, what was once reserved for Israel is now breaking out among the nations. On top of that, Matthew ends this short section with one simple and profound line. In verse thirty one it says this. And they gave glory to the God of Israel. Now why is this such a big deal? In fact, I'll just be honest with you, this wasn't a big deal for me. Like, I just read this and I gave glory. That seemed like it would make sense that they would give glory. But here's the funny thing. When you actually study the Scripture, and when you study the people who gave their life to study the scripture, they can reveal some very interesting things to you, especially if you don't understand the language. When you look at people who understand the language, they literally every commentator makes a huge big deal out of this last part of the sentence that they gave glory to the God of Israel, because what Matthew is bringing attention here is that this gathering on a mountaintop isn't just a healing service, it's a revelation. The nations are beginning to worship God, the God of Israel, because of what they've seen in Jesus. Uh, for instance, one Bible scholar, R.T. France, points out what every scholar, uh, who writes a commentary on this passage, uh, says, and he says this, that they quote, gave glory not to Jesus, not to Jesus himself, but to the God of Israel, shows a good understanding of the source from which Israel's Messiah must draw his authority. In other words, Jesus's compassion leads the Gentiles to glorify Israel's God like you have to notice the natural thing would go you healed us. Jesus, Jesus you're awesome. But what did they do instead? They noticed that Jesus was this sent one for whom he was actually bringing the news of the Kingdom of God. And that's what true compassion always does it. It points beyond itself. It doesn't end with Isn't Jesus nice? He heals some people. It ends with God is more worthy than anything. He's the one that's worthy of praise. This is what true compassion does. And so what does that mean for us? Well, when we as followers of Christ, show compassion in Jesus's name, we're not putting ourselves on display. What we hope we're doing is we're we're revealing that the God who saves is the one who sends. The healings aren't just acts of mercy, they're acts of mission. They're the Messiah saying to the nations, I see you and I came for you, and through me you can know the God of Israel. Matthew goes on in verse thirty two and he says this Jesus called his disciples and said, I have compassion on the crowd because they've already stayed with me three days and have nothing to eat. I don't want to send them away hungry, otherwise they might collapse on the way. The disciples said to him, where could we get enough bread in this desolate place to feed such a crowd? O disciples, remember we just saw the story of the five thousand just a little bit. Anyways, what does Jesus say? Well, how many loaves do you have? Which is another message that I won't speak right now. Sometimes we get caught in the fact that we don't have enough. And Jesus wants to just know, well, what is it that you have? Because I could probably do a lot with what you have instead of what you think you need. Seven they said. Which, by the way, is in the Scripture known as the number of perfection. So evidently they didn't know this, but by admitting they had seven, they had just enough. And a small few fish. After commanding the crowd to sit down on the ground, he took seven loaves, and the fish, gave thanks, broke them, and gave them to the disciples. And the disciples gave them to the crowds. They all ate and were satisfied. They collected the leftover pieces. Seven large Basketfuls remember this leftovers were collected. This is really important as we head into chapter sixteen because you're just going to go like disciples. Okay. Just stay with me. Right now, there were four thousand men who had eaten besides women and children. After dismissing the crowds, he got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan. Now, at first glance, this looks like a repeat of the feeding of the five thousand in the previous chapter. Same kind of setting, same kind of miracle. So then why tell the story again? Well, here's why. This is not just another meal, it's another mission field. The first feeding took place among Jewish crowds. This one happened among Gentiles. Matthew's original audience would have caught this. For those of us who are so used to this idea of the Scripture, and we don't, you know, we live in this, uh, you know, tensions are kind of high and we are more divided than ever. But even with the realities of what we're at, We are not as divided as people felt back then. And so we kind of get like, yeah, well, you know, Jesus came for everybody. We kind of even know that even people who aren't followers of Jesus kind of kind of believe that, well, you know, Jesus came for everybody, right? And so the first feeding took among the Jewish crowds, and this one happened among the Gentile. And the point is that Jesus is performing the same miracle in a different place to show, listen, that the same compassion, the same power, the same provision of the Messiah is available. Wait for it for everyone. Everyone is worthy. I like how one Bible scholar writes about this in his commentary in a passage. He he brings attention to these facts and he says this. First, the Jewish food laws were annulled. They were taken care of. Remember back in Matthew chapter fifteen, why do they wash their hands and Jesus like it doesn't matter. Those, those, those food laws don't matter. It's actually what's in the heart, right? So Jesus gets rid of these food laws. And then Jesus journeys up into the Gentile country and heals a Gentile girl. Gentile crowds are taught and cared for, healed, and shown the signs of the Messiah's presence as he prophesied long ago in Isaiah thirty five, just as the Jews had been early on, and now Gentiles are fed with the same heavenly bread that Jesus had made available to Jewish children of the kingdom. Wow. Right. Like, I don't know if you get the picture, but this is this is what the scholars know to be true. This was this was this was groundbreaking for those who first read this. In other words, Jesus is reenacting the same miracle to drive home the point that the kingdom of heaven is expanding beyond Israel. It's not a different Jesus for the Gentiles. It's actually the same Lord, same love, same compassion, and that the bread of heaven is actually enough for everyone. Something we'll see Jesus confront his disciples in the later verses of our passage. But now I'm getting ahead of myself. Back to the last few verses of chapter fifteen. Notice the disciples reactions. What did they say? Even after seeing Jesus feed the five thousand people not long ago, they still ask, well, where can we get this bread? We don't know what to do. This is a desolate place. It's easy to shake our heads at them, obviously, because we know the story. We know how it goes. But Michael Green reminds us that they're not different from us. He writes this, and he has a really wonderful book on the on the, on the on the book of Matthew. If you're looking for something that's like, not so heady, like, you can just write this down, but it's a really great book. I recommend this. And here's what he writes. He goes, is it not like us? We see some marvelous display of the Lord's power, and yet we're full of doubts when we are thrown into another situation of need that cast us back on him. We simply do not expect him to act. The second time. Oh oh first. God did that the first time. But like, oh, I mean like God. God's not going to do it again and listen to what he says. Lack of trust. Lack of trust often springs from forgetfulness of past blessing. Now I look at some of you already and you're like, well, yeah, that's true. Maybe you're better than me, you're better than me. But I know I'm guilty of this. I trust God when he comes through for me once, but when I face the next challenge. Sometimes I act like I've never seen him provide before. Maybe you've never done that. You're better than me. I forget his faithfulness. I. I forget that that that Jesus is powerful. I forget that compassion isn't a one time act that God wants to do in my life. It's actually the ongoing expression of who he is. Jesus is compassion for known Bible scholar Da Carson takes it even further when he writes this. He says, though they might have been prepared for Jesus to perform miracles of healing and exorcism on Gentiles as expressions of his mercy and compassion. They might still have been a long way from admitting that Gentiles could share in any anticipation of the messianic banquet. That's that's that's a theological speak. For that, they could be saved. More important, we must never lose sight of a human being's vast capacity for unbelief. After this healing, Jesus disciples completely misinterpreted one of his enigmatic sayings, because even then they did not understand that those with Jesus listen. Those with Jesus could never starve. Carson, uh, may have more letters before and after his name and no scripture than probably all of us combined. But what he says is something you and I probably know out of experience. If you've followed Jesus for really any amount of time. But what he says is something you and I know that unbelief isn't just doubt, is it? It sometimes is. But unbelief doesn't just look like doubt. Sometimes unbelief looks like forgetfulness or spiritual amnesia. To be more precise, the disciples had seen Jesus multiply bread before, but they still didn't grasp that he himself was the bread of life. They knew his compassion, but they hadn't yet recognized his identity. And so Jesus performs a miracle again same action, same words, but this time for a new audience. It's a living parable. The kingdom of God isn't limited to a single nation or group. The table is getting wider. The bread is being broken, not just for the chosen people, but for the entire world. And when Matthew tells us that everyone ate and was satisfied, he's not just talking about full stomachs, he's talking about hearts that are being invited into a greater feast. The messianic banquet Isaiah spoke about in Isaiah sixty six. You can read it on your own. The eternal communion between God and his people, from every tribe and every tongue and every nation. And don't miss this. Jesus's compassion feeds their hunger. Yes, it does, but even more, Jesus's compassion reveals who he is that he is the Savior of the world. He is the bread from heaven, the one who satisfies the deepest hunger of the human heart. Whereas Billy Graham would say, I was in Wheaton this weekend visiting my son, and they had the Billy Graham he's eating. And those of you who know Billy Graham. And it's funny because, uh, we were there and I was going around and and we got done with it, and, and I and I ask Mia, how did it go? And she goes, well, I don't know. It was kind of boring. I'm like, what? She goes, I don't know who Billy Graham is like. And I was like, a generation doesn't know who this is. But for those of us I know, I know, you know who he is. And what did he always say? That that what God has, God has sent Jesus to fill the what? That God said. Because we all have this God shaped hole in our heart. Let's read on Matthew sixteen, the Pharisees and Sadducees approached and tested him, asking him to show them a sign from heaven. And he replied, when evening comes, you say, it will be good weather, because the sky is red. And in the morning today we will be. Today will be stormy because the sky is red and threatening. You know how to read the appearance of the sky, but you can't read the signs of the times. An evil and adulterous generation demands a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. So here we have a scene again. Very familiar. Jesus gets confronted by some people. Uh, theologian uh, referred to him. Michael. Michael Green, he puts it like this. He says the Pharisees and Sadducees came together to test Jesus by asking him for a sign. This is remarkable, by the way, they would not have normally seen, uh, being seen dead in each other's company. Their theological views and political ideologies were diametrically opposed. It was the opposition to Jesus that drew these most unlikely partners together. And so when the human heart rejects the truth of Jesus, unbelief unites what would otherwise remain divided. The religious leaders demand for a sign wasn't about seeking truth. It was about challenging Jesus's authority. They had seen his miracles. They had heard his teachings and witnessed lives transformed. But it wasn't enough. They wanted control over how God would prove himself. Unfortunately for them, Jesus refused to play that game instead. Jesus is borderline insulting them by pointing out the fact that they're able to predict the weather, but they're blind to the signs of the time, the signs already standing right in front of them, the healings, the feedings, the fulfilled prophecies. They were all divine evidence that Jesus was in fact who he claimed he was. But often, as with our own unbelief, the unbelief of the religious leaders, they just just give me one more sign. Just just one more. And don't we do this? Yes, I know you're good, God, but just please, just just give me one more sign. And if this were a scene that happened in a modern context, it would appear that this was Jesus's mic drop moment. What he says here next, what he says here, take a look at this. It says what? What what Matthew says here after all of this, what does Matthew say at the end of verse four. Then he, Jesus, left them and went away. He said what he said, and he just looked at him and said. I don't know, that's what he did. But like, that's all that's kind of the picture. He said what he said and then he left and he went away. And just like that, Jesus ends his ministry in Galilee. And from here on, his focus will turn on towards Jerusalem and his ultimate demonstration that he is, in fact, God made flesh, the Savior of the world, headed towards the cross. And then what happens next? Verse five the disciples reached the other shore, and they had forgotten to take bread. I'm not sure what it was about the disciples forgetfulness to take bread, but it was in this moment that Jesus seize the moment to teach them something more profound. And here's what he says. Verse six. Then Jesus told them, watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. They were discussing among themselves. We didn't bring any bread. The disciples misses the missed the point entirely. They think Jesus is talking about lunch. And then Jesus, with what I imagined was equal parts patience and maybe a little bit of disappointment, says this in verse eight. Aware of this, Jesus said, O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves that you do not have bread? Don't you understand yet? Don't you remember the five loaves for the five thousand? And how many baskets you collected, or seven loaves for the four thousand? How many large baskets you collected? Why is it you don't understand that when I told you. Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. It wasn't about bread. In other words, Jesus is saying. Have you learned nothing? Don't you remember? Don't you yet see who I am? This is more than about bread. It's about belief. The Pharisees and the Sadducees can't see because of their pride. The disciples can't see because of their forgetfulness. And both kinds of blindness are dangerous. One rejects Jesus, rejects Jesus outright, and the other follows him closely, but underestimates him. And when Jesus speaks of leaven, he's using common language. Leaven spreads quietly through the dough. It changes everything it touches. If you come over to my house today, if you're coming for community, I'm going to show you the leaven that I've been working on. I've got this amazing sourdough starter that's probably like tripled in size. I checked it this morning. Right. But but that's what yeast does. That's what leaven does. Right? And he's warning them that unbelief can do the same. If they let cynicism, legalism or fear spread unchecked, it will distort their understanding of who he is and what he has come to do. Fortunately for the disciples, they get it by verse twelve. Look at this. Then they understood That he had not told them to beware of the leaven in the bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Well, I hope he did, because literally Jesus literally spelled it out. And so what is this teaching? It's the right kind of religion that demands proof instead of, uh, what? You know, what is this teaching? The the the teaching of the Pharisees. It's the kind of teaching religion that demands proof instead of faith. It's the self made spirituality that looks devout but resists surrender. It's compassionless correctness, Orthodoxy without love and faith without trust. Jesus doesn't want his followers to live like that. What Jesus is doing is forming disciples who will carry his compassion into the world, but compassion that reveals the Messiah, not compassion. Listen that replaces him. If you step back and look at this whole section of Matthew, from the healings among Gentiles to the feeding of the four thousand, to the confrontation with the Pharisees and the Sadducees. It's a picture of two kinds of compassion and two kinds of responses. On one side, you have Jesus. He shows compassion that moves toward people, not away from them. He he touches the sick. He heals the broken, and he feeds the hungry. By the way, not to gain approval, but to reveal who God is. His compassion is courageous because it's rooted not in his desire to make himself look good or to be helpful, but it's rooted in the mission of God. It's compassion that points people to salvation. And then on the other side, you have disciples and the religious leaders. Both groups see the same miracles, but for different reasons. Both miss the meaning. The Pharisees demand a sign. They want control. And the disciples forget the sign. And they lack trust. One's problem is pride. The other is fear. Both stops short of recognizing this. That compassion was meant to reveal the identity of the Messiah. When Jesus healed and fed the Gentiles, he wasn't just being nice. He was declaring that God's kingdom has no borders. Everyone is welcome to experience Jesus. He was showing that compassion without revelation isn't the gospel. It's just sentiment. It's just feelings. This is because the greatest need of every human being isn't bread. It isn't health. It isn't comfort. Listen, the greatest need of every human being is reconciliation to God. And that's what the compassion of Jesus is always leading toward. But there is a dirty little secret about compassion. I'm going to tell it to you. We live in a world that celebrates kindness. But is uncomfortable with the truth. We're encouraged to be caring, generous, and accepting as long as we don't talk about sin or repentance or Jesus as Lord. And that's where compassion often stops short. It becomes about us our goodness, our reputation, our comfort, instead of about Jesus. But if we belong to Jesus, we're called to a different kind of compassion, not compassion that draws attention to ourselves, but the compassion that reveals the Savior. Compassion that goes beyond relief and points towards redemption. Compassion that risks misunderstanding because it carries the message of the cross. And some of you have been faithfully showing kindness to people at your work, in your neighborhood, maybe even in your own family. But if you're honest with yourself, you've been hesitant to speak about Jesus. And and I get it, maybe that hesitation feels kind of safe. And maybe in some instances it feels like I'm actually being loving. But at some point, love without the truth isn't love. It's just you keeping things comfortable. The same Jesus who multiplied bread is the same Jesus who said this. It is written, man must not live on bread alone. Insert whatever compassion you think people need. They can't live on that alone. But on every word that comes not from the mouth of God. Our world doesn't just need more bread, It needs to meet the Bread of Life. And even as I say this, I know there's a real temptation for some of you to let yourself off the hook by saying, Phil, you just don't understand how tired I am. I've tried to live out my faith. I've shown compassion over and over again, and it feels like no one notices. And no one's changing and no one's believing and there's no opportunities. I've shown that compassion, but it just doesn't feel like there's any headway. I believe that this compassion is supposed to point to Jesus, and I keep on doing it, but it's not going anywhere. But listen. Remember, the disciples didn't understand everything either, but Jesus still used them. He multiplied what little they wrought, even though it was like a faithless, faithless little. They didn't even consider the seven. They're like, oh God, Jesus! But Jesus used it, and this one God can use them. He can use us today. And your compassion, your obedience, your small acts of faithfulness. None of them are wasted. None are wasted when they're placed in the hands of the Messiah. Because, listen, he can do more with seven loaves and a few fish than we can do with all of our plans and all of our strategies. And so the question this passage leaves us with is simple, but it's definitely not an easy one. The question is this will we join Jesus in revealing who he is? Or will we settle for showing compassion that stops with ourselves? Will we join Jesus in revealing who he is? Will we look at every opportunity to show compassion, to show kindness, to do good as an opportunity to reveal Jesus? Or will we just settle? I did my good deed for the day. Oh yeah. Or you could spiritualize it. Oh, I looked like Jesus today. Why is it still about you? Why is it often still about me? I don't want this to be about me. And I hope you don't want it to be about you. Because when we join Jesus in his mission, compassion isn't just something we do. It's something God does through us. It becomes the way his presence, his power, and his glory is made visible in a world that desperately needs him. Do you believe that this world desperately needs him? And that's the joy of following Jesus. Not that people would look and say, look how kind Tom is, or look how awesome Lance is, but that they would look at us and in our compassion and in our good would say, oh! Look how good their God must be for them to act like this. When the Gentiles saw Jesus heal, They gave glory to the God of Israel. There is something that happened there that made them undeniably know where the glory is given. Now, of course, it was Jesus. He does everything perfect. But I think that's what we're called to as well. To lead others, to glorify the God who saved us. And so let's not settle for compassion that stops short. Let's practice the kind of compassion that reveals the heart of the Messiah, so that the world, our friends, our neighbors, our city might see his power, would know his mercy. And glorify the God of Israel through us.
Part 4: When Obedience Costs Something - Joseph's Story (Matthew 1:18-25)
TRANSCRIPT:
The first week we were together, we looked at Abraham's story and how how he stepped out when God said, go. Some of you know the story of Abraham or Abraham. And God said, go. And he went. And then we looked at the story of Joseph in Genesis. Joseph, you know, the coat of many colors. You know, the guy with the coat of many colors. And we looked at how how he trusted God in spite of betrayal and in spite of suffering and being in jail, he continued to trust God. He continued to do the next right thing. And then last week, we looked at the story of one of Jesus disciples by the name of Philip, and how when the Spirit of God redirected him from success to obscurity, he didn't. He didn't complain and said he. He listened to God and he obeyed. Today we finish by looking at one last story of the rewards of living the kind of life that is committed to doing the best that they can to walk in obedience to God in the next right thing, even maybe even if obedience Costs something. Now, if you know me, you know that I can easily get lost in the rabbit hole of YouTube. For those of you who know me, that's just my weakness. That's why I actually have a jar of sourdough starter sitting in my microwave right now. I got a picture of it right here, so. Yeah. See, this is I so I, I got started some of, you know, a month ago I started talking about making bread. Right. And then we talked about bread. And now one thing led to another. Here we are like six weeks later, and now I'm making sourdough starter like Phil. It's not twenty twenty. You don't have to do that. Yeah. But anyways, this is what I'm doing. And I hate to admit I'm a sucker for anything DIY, whether that means baking bread or building things. And one of my favorite things is watching videos of people who do woodworking. I don't know if you're anyone else like that. Like for me, like people who do woodworking is just absolutely amazing. And, uh, confession time I literally got distracted for twenty minutes this week. Speaking of watching a guy build a table out of. Have you ever seen this? Like they build a table, like live edge wood. Anyone know what that is? Live edge wood. It's like a slab of wood that still has the bark on it. It's like it's live edge and they chop off the bark. And then what they do is they kind of put several pieces together and then they fill it with epoxy. You ever see anyone seen this? It's fascinating. It's absolutely cool. So and of course it was I was watching this guy build it and like like, oh this is interesting. I'm like, oh. Twenty minutes later I'm like, oh no, there goes twenty minutes of my time. But it was absolutely beautiful. I loved watching it. Now I don't consider myself a carpenter. I do have all the tools, but I can't say that I have the skill. But I've watched enough videos and I've made enough woodworking mistakes of my own to know that success in carpentry can be summed up in a very, very simple phrase. In fact, you probably even know what it is, even if you're not someone who works with wood. And what is that phrase? What's this? Right. Measure twice. Cut once. Right. Anyone ever heard that phrase right? Like if you didn't. If you've never heard that phrase when it comes to woodworking. Here you go. Your dad should have taught you that. My dad taught me that, like, measure twice, cut once, measure twice, cut once. Now, carpenters, at least. At least the successful ones, understand that success in carpentry depends on the ability to control variables. You know, lines. Plumb level, length, height, width. These are all terms that people who are in the trades they understand, you've got to be exact, about. You've got to control those type of things. And there these are all the things that people who who work with would like to know the plan about before they even start a woodworking project. And our text today we come across one of the main characters of the Christmas story that typically doesn't get as much attention as others. We we meet a man by the name of Joseph and. And he's a carpenter, by the way, from a little town called Nazareth. And as a person who made his living through the skill of woodworking, he was probably someone who had an affinity for making things fit, making sure that he could see the plan before he started the plan. Maintained control of all the details so that he was responsible for things lining up as they are supposed to act. After all, his job depended on it. But then one day. One day. Right? One day, God did something absolutely that he did not expect. God interrupted that plan, and Joseph's story reminds us that sometimes doing the next right thing doesn't make life easier. But sometimes doing the right thing does mean that life gets just a little bit more complicated. So I don't know if that's you or if that's been you, and I tell you this, it will be you. Let's just look at the story today. We're going to look at this story and we're going to look at Joseph's story to explore the truth. We find through the Scripture that while obedience to God ultimately leads to the blessing of God in our lives, that's true. There are times that stepping into the right next thing means obeying God, even if it costs us something. So let's look at the Scripture together Matthew chapter one, starting at verse eighteen, it says this. The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way after his mother had been engaged to Joseph. It was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant from the Holy Spirit. So her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, publicly decided to divorce her secretly. Now, most of you here probably are more than familiar with the details of this story. But just in case you forgot, I think it's a good reminder that this moment for Joseph wasn't just some minor inconvenience. It was absolutely, absolutely devastating. Betrothal in Jewish customs and culture wasn't just that period right after getting an engagement ring and, you know, someone saying, I do. It was it was more than that. Betrothal was an agreement where one man and one woman, or in this case, one teenager and another teenager, entered into a legally binding relationship that would be dedicated to the end goal of becoming husband and wife. So much so that breaking this would require a formal divorce. You just couldn't say. I think we need to take a little time to figure things out, like, no, no, we got to go. We got to get this thing done. So imagine this Joseph has been faithfully preparing for marriage. His reputation is clean. How do we know this? He's a righteous man. His plans are set. How do we know that he's a carpenter? I'd like to think that's kind of how it goes. His life is in order. And then comes the news. The young woman he's engaged to, Mary is pregnant. She's pregnant. Now, here's here's the interesting thing. Like when you study this passage of Scripture and when you read what the kind of Bible scholars have to say about this passage of scripture, a lot of them do believe that at this point that Joseph found out that Mary had the baby, Mary withheld from her, at least at that point, that this pregnancy that she was experiencing was from God. And so and so to add to even the like, I think it would be even still worse enough. Like if if the person you were betrothed to said, like, I'm pregnant and you're like, what? We haven't. Yeah, but don't worry. It's it's from God. It would still be disturbing. Right? Right. But in this situation, we don't know. You know, this is where we kind of fill in the blanks. But in either case, whether he actually knew or this was something that was withheld from him, but he began to notice. This would have been absolutely devastating. Joseph knows he's not the father, and he doesn't understand how he got in this situation. And he was probably struggling like any of us would if we were in his shoes, to see what God was up to. You know what it's like to be in a situation where you're putting a between a rock and a hard place. What are the words that come out of your mouth? Uh, I'm not over righteous enough to say that I don't say these things where I. You say, oh my goodness, God, what in the world are you up to? Have you ever said that? Have you ever been there? But in that moment, the most righteous thing Joseph knows to do is to quietly step away. At least that's his next right step. To end things in a way that minimizes damage and preserves the dignity that that Mary would be able to walk away with as an unwed, pregnant teenager, at least the little dignity that she could get in that culture. In fact, one Bible scholar points this out. He says it's the character of these two adults. Mary and Joseph reminds us that God fulfills his purposes by using people of strong character and unquestioning obedience. So this is Joseph. He's doing the right thing. He's making right choices, right? He's trying to do the noble thing he's called righteous. But notice what Joseph doesn't do. Joseph doesn't lash out, does he, Joseph? He doesn't shame Mary, does he? He just quietly begins to plan his way out. As one Bible scholar gives insight to the realities of the situation, he writes this to Mary. Mary would have been an admission of guilt when he was not guilty. Think about that. To have a public divorce would have exposed Mary to public disgrace. And apparently, Joseph's compassion would not allow him to expose her to public humiliation. Therefore, he chose the option to have a private divorce before two witnesses and dismiss her quietly. The law allowed for that. This way, he could keep his reputation while still showing compassion. But notice something here. Even righteous people listen. Even righteous people can make the wrong choice when they're afraid. Even righteous people can do the wrong thing when they're afraid. Fear doesn't always look like panic, by the way. Fear. It always doesn't look like. Ah. Sometimes it looks like control. Like trying to manage the damage or fix the situation ourselves. Look at this in verse twenty. But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, don't be Afraid. Don't be afraid to do what? To take Mary as your wife. We talked about why that would have been very fearful of him. It would be an admission of guilt, because what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. Now, I know it's easy to pick on Joseph because we know how the story ends, right? We know how the story ends. It's one, you know, one thing I pick up from the story is that God honors those with righteous hearts who make him perfect choices. When I look at when I look at Joseph, the one of the things that I notice is that God honors those with righteous hearts who make him perfect choices. And this is why, using the wisdom, you have to do the next right thing with an open heart, to be led by the Lord is so important. Often find yourself in situations where you don't know what to do and and. But if you have the right heart, if you're you're humble before the Lord willing to say, look, hey, there's one of my favorite proverbs says this in his heart a man makes his plans, but the Lord orders his steps. If you're that kind of person, I think God honors that even when you make imperfect choices. Joseph is a righteous person. He has righteous intention, but he's wrong in execution. And how does the Lord respond to this? Now he corrects Joseph, but he doesn't just correct Joseph. He comforts him by saying this. Joseph, don't be afraid. Now why is this important? Why is it important that God tell Joseph not to be afraid? Because listen, under underneath every attempt to control our lives is fear. Is fear. Fear that will look foolish. Fear that we'll lose something that we love. Fear that everything that we've worked for up to this point will be all for nothing. Fear that obedience will cost way too much. And yet, what Joseph learns is what we must remember. What he learns is what we must also learn. That fear doesn't mean the absence of faith. Fear is simply the place where faith gets tested. Now, Joseph, notice that God doesn't offer Joseph the whole plan. He gives Joseph just enough to take the next right step. The instructions the Lord sends through his angels are these. Take Mary as your wife and name the child Jesus. That's it. Stay tuned for further instructions. Right, like this is what you're going to do. Now take. Look, just take care as your wife. And then when the time comes, you're going to go ahead and name him Jesus, not Joseph. Look, you're gonna have to name him Yeshua. You're gonna have to name him that, okay? You're gonna have to. I know your name is Joseph, but you're going to call him Yeshua. And that's it. No roadmap, no explanation about what people will think. The angel doesn't say. And by the way, when people say this, just nope. Just says, hey, here's what you're going to do. You're going to marry Mary. And then you got a name, Child Jesus. There's no assurance that the rumors won't come. Angel doesn't say, don't worry. Nobody will judge you. They'll just listen. They won't judge, right? He doesn't say that. There's no guarantee that his parents or Mary's parents would be fully supportive. We don't. I don't know what was the drama behind all that. I mean, can you put yourself. I mean, this is this is real life. Listen, even if you're not someone who calls yourself a Christian, even if you don't believe everything you've heard about Jesus in the Bible, historians know No. Jesus was a historical character. Right. What would it have been like to have been part of that family and to see this go down? Oh, Mary's been throwing up a lot. Oh, she says she's pregnant by the Lord. Okay, whatever. Yeah, and I'm a donkey. Right. What would have been going on here? And I think this is kind of how God usually works. He doesn't just hand us a blueprint for building the life he desires for us. Sometimes. Sometimes God just hands us the next board to nail down. Sometimes in this life that we're building, he just hands us the next brick and says, here, just put put this on top of the last one that I told you to put up. Let's continue in our passage to see how God works in Joseph's life. Verse twenty two, it says this. Now this all took place to fulfill what has spoken through the Lord, through the prophet, see, the Virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son. And they will name. And they will name him what Immanuel, which is translated God with us. Now, I wasn't there, obviously, but I can imagine that from Joseph's perspective, his world felt like it was about to get a little bit more chaotic, maybe even feeling like everything was falling apart. But from God's perspective, everything was actually falling into place. The message the angel of the Lord gave was basically this Joseph. This isn't chaos. This, in fact, is actually fulfillment. Think about that. Joseph's disruption was actually part of God's redemption. Joseph's confusion was actually part of God's clarity. And at the heart of all this is one word, one word, Immanuel, which translated into the language you and I speak today. God with us. If you traveled the road of uncertainty with the Lord, you know as well as I do that this this phrase is the anchor for every unknown, every fear, every cost. You are not alone. You are never walking alone when you can't see what God is doing. Guess what? He is with you when you don't understand where God's taking you. He's not taking you on a journey alone. Remember who is with you. God wasn't asking Joseph to carry the weight of the world. He. He was actually asking him just to take care of the one who eventually would. You don't have to carry the weight of the world. But listen, just take care of the one who will. Verse twenty four When Joseph woke up, he did as the Lord angel. As the Lord's angel had commanded him, he married her. But he did not have sexual relations with her until she gave birth to a son. And he named him Jesus. He did as the Lord said. Now, in the grand narrative of the Gospels, not much is given to us about Joseph. In fact, at first glance it seems like he's treated more of like an extra in on the set rather than someone playing a lead role. But despite this, his wholehearted desire to remain fearless and stay married to Mary, who was blatantly not carrying his child. By the way, even in the face of possible disgrace and slander by those in his circles of influence, this is the point of what Matthew was communicating. Even though Joseph's DNA would not be passed down to this special child, Joseph would have a significant role in Jesus's life. Joseph would. As I saw Corey out there swinging the baby right? Joseph would take turns. He would hold that little one that will one day hold the whole world in his hands. Joseph would train this little one as a child, even maybe mentor him in the trade that was probably passed down to him from his father and his father's father. Before all this, Joseph needed to choose to listen to the word of the Lord and not be afraid. Which makes me wonder how many opportunities do we miss because of our fears. I wonder how many opportunities we miss because we're afraid. And listen, I'm not talking about the situations that feel unlucky. You know, the ones, the unlucky situations like, oh, you know, unlucky. I missed that parking spot. I almost had it. Someone was. Or someone. I'm not talking or missed opportunities. I'm not talking about that. I'm not talking about that lottery ticket you didn't buy or or that sweepstakes you didn't register for. I was talking with the guys at men's group, and like, there's this whole sweepstakes thing like, oh, yeah, and someone got one thousand bucks and I'm like, oh, I knew I should have done it. I could have won. I'm not talking about that kind of missed up. I'm not saying what I'm talking about. I'm not even talking about the school you didn't get into or the promotion you hope for. I'm not talking about that relationship. Maybe you wished you had another chance at. I'm talking about the kind of opportunities like like Joseph realized he was given opportunities that actually have. And I'm going to push you a little further because not just like the regular everyday opportunities, but if I could talk to you as like a brother or sister in Christ, you know, like the like the opportunities that have eternal implications. Like, not not just making the right decision about whether your jobs or I'm talking about eternal implications, opportunities to experience life in the flow of God's desire to accomplish his will in the world, opportunities to store treasures in heaven, as opposed to the kind of opportunities that only offer reward here on earth. Because it's one thing to talk about like, don't have any fear. Go ahead. And, you know, you know, take that venture. And I think, I think there's a lot of wisdom in that, like take that venture in this life, but there are certain things that we have no fear in and we see God's blessing, but really, honestly only leave their mark here on earth. And there are certain things that we could walk with confidence with the Lord that actually have eternal value, that has eternal value. Now what am I talking about? What am I going towards here? I wonder how many times we have missed out on what God wants to accomplish through our lives, because we allow our fears to make us believe that we need to get control of things, instead of allowing God to be in control of us. I'm talking about. If you're around here long enough, I talk about this all the time. Living life on mission, being a witness, sharing the gospel, letting your life shine so that those who are around you can see your good works and glorify your father in heaven. Oh, I just I gotta go to work. I don't want to get fired. Okay, great. I get that. And you're worried about all those things. But what about the heavenly things? What about worrying about what God wants to accomplish in this life? Joseph was worried about disgrace here on earth, but God was wanting to accomplish his mission that carried on past his. He was wanting to save people from their sins. And I think when you think in those terms, it's it's it's got to be fearful because the things that the decisions you have in this life are. I mean, let's be honest, some of the decisions you have to make in this life, there's a lot of fear behind it. But then you start thinking about like, oh, like, what does God want to accomplish in my own life? And then there's shame. There's doubt, there's fear. And and I think there's a reason why Jesus spent much of his time teaching and preaching on this very topic of fear anxiety. Right? I mean, look at this. I'm just going to give you a quick overview, like just in case if you don't know this, but I think you should see that Jesus talks about this a lot. Matthew ten thirty one. So don't be afraid. You are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows. Matthew six twenty five. Don't be anxious about your life. Will you eat what you will drink, nor about your body what you put on as it will go on later? It says instead, what? Seek what first the kingdom of God Matthew fourteen. Don't be afraid. This is Jesus walking on water. Don't be afraid. Take courage, I am here. Luke twelve thirty two so don't be afraid, little flock, for it gives your father great happiness to give you the kingdom. And of course, there's John fourteen one through three. Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my father's home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. Joseph's story reminds us that the most faithful people in God's story are rarely the ones in the spotlight. Highlight. So if you feel like God's not using me, who am I? I'm insignificant. I'm not coming off. I'm no Billy Graham. I'm. I'm not. Listen, the ones that God often use are those for whom history will tell history. You won't know it now. History will tell are not in the spotlight. Instead, they're the ones who quietly trust that when life falls apart, God is still holding the whole world together, that he has the whole world in his hands. More importantly, Joseph's story points us this is the most important thing. Joseph's story points us to Jesus, because it's not a story about how Joseph's faith was so strong. The main point of this story is actually how faithful God is, and that's really the heartbeat of the entire series. Abraham trusted in God's call. Joseph trusted God's purpose. Philip trusted God's Spirit. Mary and Joseph trusted God's plan. Who has this been about? God, this has been about God. And every story we've looked at points to one truth that following God in the unknown always begins with and ends with. Trust begins and ends with trust. Because that's what faith in motion looks like, right? Stepping, standing, following, surrendering. And maybe the next right thing for you is to finally trust Jesus. Not as a religious idea or a a a stalworth of moral integrity, which some people do. Uh, we often call this, uh, someone. Oh, goodness gracious, Wheaton's texting me. Let me silence. You forgot to do that before I got right. Theologians often call this the new move of people who say they're Christians. Really are just people who are. therapeutic, moralistic, deist. They believe in God because it makes them feel good. Therapeutic. Moralistic. They believe in God because for the most part, they like the rules about not sinning and like not killing and not stealing. And the Jesus represents Jesus represents most of the moral stuff that they feel is morally right. And Jesus calls out the things that they so therapeutic moralistic deism. And at the end of the day, they want to be able to say, well, God said, God said, right. And so they're not really followers of Christ who submitted their life to Jesus and said, I want to increasingly learn what it means to submit no matter what I feel, no matter what I think to this, to this, I want to submit it to Christ and His Word. Right? Maybe the first step for you is to say, you know what, I I'm done trying to figure out whether or not the Bible aligns with my innate sense of being, and I just want to admit that I do not know. So, Lord, I want to trust in you today. And maybe today is the day you begin to really submit to Christ and submit to His Word. Maybe, maybe the next right thing for you is to stop trying to control everything. You believe in Christ, and you've submitted your life to him. But it's kind of like this. It's kind of like this. It's, you know, like God, I'll follow you. Okay, okay, okay. Okay, okay. Nope. Step to me. I'll catch you if you fall. I don't know why. My legs are kind of weak. I'm just gonna hold. No, just let go of the table. Right. Like, I gotta control these things. You're. I believe in you, but you're still holding on. I'm trying to find this old video that I. That I have the trust fall off. Some of you remember it, but like, we we we often do that. Maybe for some of you. Some of you, you just need to let go. Sorry. God, I'm going to trust you. Maybe it's to obey in something that you've been putting off. Maybe it's that you're you are submitted to God, but you're also so busy, you feel like. But God wouldn't want me to be irresponsible. I have all these things I gotta do. Well, maybe God wants you to obey today. And that thing he's been telling you to do. You don't need to just see the whole plan. You don't have to have every answer. Listen, you just have to take the next right step. Now, I know some of you who have whatever Enneagram as a person that needs to see every step or whatever, Myers-Briggs. And you're like, that seems sacrilegious and you're being insensitive to me. Listen, for you, that's going to be really, really hard for some people. It's not going to be as hard. But the same thing is true. No matter your personality style, we all need to learn how to lean into trust in Jesus. We need to learn how sometimes just to say, I don't know what this is going to look like, but Lord, I trust you and you're going to. You've got the whole world in your hands. So taking the right step sometimes maybe trusting Jesus, it means it. Maybe it means trusting Jesus. It means releasing control. It means choosing obedience, even if it costs you in a scary or uncertain as that may feel. Here's the good news whatever the next right step looks like, at the end of the day, if you're a follower of Christ, you are not alone. You are not alone. Not that Jesus is Michael Jackson, but the song comes. You are not alone. I am right, right, right. This is this is our Lord, not Michael Jackson, but right, the Lord. He's with you. He's with you. Do you believe that? Because the story doesn't end with Joseph fixing what was broken. It ends with Jesus entering into brokenness. Joseph tried to fix this is broken situation. I'm trying to fix this. Little did he know that Jesus was actually saying, this brokenness is mine. And that's how God still works today. I think Abraham stepped out. Joseph endured. Philip obeyed. Joseph surrendered. And whether you know it or not, it's your turn. It's your turn to take the next right step. Trusting that the same God who called these people actually still calls us. So as you step into the week ahead or the months ahead, my prayer for you is that you would walk with courage into whatever unknown lies before you, that the unknown doesn't have to faze those who follow Christ. And may you trust that God is present in the waiting, working in the middle. And he's faithful, ultimately in the end. And so may you find peace, not because you've got it all figured out, but because Emmanuel, God with us, walks with you every step of the way.
