Four Points Church

"Fulfilled -Jesus Saves Sinners Matt 9:9-34 " Sept 30,2018

The healing of the paralytic taught us that Jesus was God who has the power to forgive sin (9:1-8). Now we see Jesus going a step further. He is surrounding Himself with sinners. Look carefully as Matthew has not put his calling into this moment of His narrative on accident. Mark 2:13 teaches us that the crowd was all over Jesus. Everyone in Capernaum had heard about Jesus and wanted to see Him.

"Fulfilled -Power Over Demons Matt 8:28-9:8 " Sept 23,2018

Matthew has already revealed the power Jesus has over disease and nature. In this text we see He has power over demons as well. As Jesus and His disciples arrive safely at the other side of the sea of Galilee they are met by two men. Mark 5, and Luke 8, give us more information about one of the men. We know he was naked, out of his mind, and living among the tombs. Locals had tried to restrain him, but he would break through chains. When these men saw Jesus their words are very telling. Demons know who Jesus is (James 2:19)! They rightly identify Him as the Son of God.

"Fulfilled - It Costs to Follow Jesus Matt 8:18-27 " Sep. 16, 2018

There is no “then.”  There is only “now.”  Some people have deceived themselves into thinking that there are other things that are more important in life that exempt them from following Christ in the present.  Jesus makes clear that we follow Him first and work everything else out as we stay behind our Savior.

"Fulfilled -More than Words Matt 8:1-17 " Sept 09,2018

Jesus has just come own off the mountain.  The crowds who heard His teaching were astonished at the authority with which He spoke (7:28-29).  However, Jesus did not come down from heaven to only preach sermons.  He came to prove His words were true by His actions.

"Fulfilled -Fakes and Phonies Matt 7:15-29 " Sept 02,2018

Not everyone who claims to be a follower of Jesus actually is. Jesus warns us that false teachers will come. They don’t show up wearing t-shirts that tell us they are untrustworthy. Instead, they come saying “listen to me because I know what you need.”

"Fulfilled - Ask, Seek, Knock, Matthew 7: 7-14" Aug, 26, 2018

After hearing Jesus speak on having planks in our eyes we are left with a hopeless feeling in our gut.  Deep inside we are asking the questions, “Who can be saved” and “What are we to do.”  This is why Jesus now diverts our attention back to praying to our heavenly Father. The answer is simple.  Jesus uses three verbs that remind us that there is great help available to us in our shortcomings.  There is a righteousness that is higher than that of the Scribes and Pharisees, and we have been given access to Him.

"Fulfilled - Judge Not, Matthew 7:1-6" Aug, 19, 2018

The most known Bible verse of my generation was John 3:16.  Whether you learned it in Sunday school or from the rainbow colored wig man at a baseball game, you were familiar with it.  Our world has turned its attention to another verse in the Bible that is now its most familiar teaching.  We find that verse in this text… “Judge not.”  You hear this verse constantly quoted in churches, political speeches, and especially from our educational institutions.  Our world has adopted the idea of relativism, which is a system where there is no absolute truth or right way of doing anything.  Instead, we must assimilate what all cultures and sub-cultures value as true.  The worst thing you can be deemed in our societal melting pot is someone who is “intolerant” of other ideas, which is by the way… a judgment.  Anytime, Christians find themselves disagreeing with others we are told, “don’t judge me.”  Is this what Jesus was teaching in Matthew 7?

"Fulfilled - Do Not Be Anxious, Matthew 6: 25-34" Aug. 12, 2018

Three times Jesus commands us to “not to be anxious.” Jesus gives one other command in this text and it shows us how to dismantle the anxiety we feel in our lives.  Jesus says, “seek first the kingdom of God." When Jesus becomes our treasure, our anxiety can find rest in His perfect work and will.

"Fulfilled - Fasting to be Seen, Matthew 6:16-24" Aug. 5, 2018

In the Old Testament there are many people who fasted for a wide variety of reasons.  Prophets like Moses, Kings like David, Queens like Esther, and Scribes like Ezra all fasted as a way to seek the Lord in the times of their distress.  While much fasting was being done in the Old Testament, there is actually only one time every year, at the day of Atonement, that the Lord required His people to fast.  Groups like the Pharisees saw this command and the examples in the Old Testament and determined they were going to be holier by doing much more fasting than was commanded or what they saw God’s people before them perform. Once again, Jesus saw through the charade.  He knew they really weren’t seeking His Father.

"Fulfilled- Unrighteous Holy Things, Matthew 6: 5-15" July 29, 2018

It is much easier to think about sin in terms of failure.  It is easy to see where the prodigal son went wrong.  He was greedy, selfish, and squandered every good gift his father had given him.  However, when we listen to Jesus we must recognize that even our best deeds can be as unrighteous as the sins of the prodigal son.