Absolute Authority
Website Editor • August 5, 2020
From Pastor Lance Shumake's message on Matthew 8:28-9:8:
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John: all gospels with one story to share, Jesus.
Though unified in the gospel, God used each of the authors to share slightly different versions of the same story. Each author had a different personality, a different perspective, and a different purpose in writing.
As our church is currently spending time in Matthew, we know that Matthew’s letter is directed toward a Jewish audience. His intention in writing is to communicate that Jesus is the Son of God; God in flesh; the promised Messiah. Over and over again, Matthew achieves this purpose by pointing to Jesus’ AUTHORITY. He shows us that Jesus has authority as a teacher; as a healer; over the wind and waves; over demons; as someone who can forgive sins.
Coming off the sea of Galilee (...where He very casually ordered the wind and waves to simmer down, AND THEY DID), the first thing Jesus and His crew encounters are two men possessed by demons. No one else would dare approach, but Jesus was unafraid.
The demons inside these men see Jesus and IMMEDIATELY recognize Him for who He is and know the authority He has over them. Their response is to plea for their lives, begging to be sent into a herd of nearby pigs. Jesus speaks but one word, “Go”, and the legion of demons are instantly cast out of the men and into the pigs. The whole herd then runs off a cliff and drowns.
That’s authority.
Matthew’s account then shows Jesus encountering a paralytic whose friends took great lengths to get him in front of Jesus. Jesus saw their faith and told the man, “Take heart, my son, your sins are forgiven,” to which, some of the people in the crowd thought He was blaspheming -- ONLY GOD has the power to forgive sins. Knowing their thoughts, Jesus replied, “What is easier to say, ‘your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘rise and walk”? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.”
Then He said to the paralytic, “Rise, pick up your bed and go home.” AND THE MAN DID.
Matthew uses this passage to show his audience that if Jesus has the same authority as God, He is surely God.
The big picture truth in all of this is that we are all under God’s authority because He created us.
As created beings, we must submit to His ultimate, absolute authority.
The foundational problem of the world (in Matthew’s time and in our time, just the same) is man’s rejection of God’s authority. God desires for us to submit to Him.
A simple way of looking at this is parents with a child. God has delegated authority to parents as a way to point back to His ultimate authority. Parents set rules for their children because they understand what’s best for them. Just as parents desire for their children to obey; God desires for us to submit to His will. He is our creator, He has authority over us, He knows what is best for us. When we willingly obey and submit, we demonstrate TRUST that He sees us, knows our needs (even better than we do!), and is faithful to provide.
Ultimately, what we need most is forgiveness.
Forgiveness is the only way we can truly be reconciled to God. And, as Matthew’s audience knew, ONLY GOD has the power to forgive sins.
When Jesus chose to forgive the paralytic man’s sins FIRST, He dealt with the more important issue. Jesus is concerned with the status of our hearts; His desire is for us to be in right-standing with God. Everything else is secondary.
Ours is a good, good Father who sees our needs and knows what’s best for us. He is faithful to give us His good gifts at the right time. When we obey and surrender our lives to Him, we are demonstrating trust in Him.
To this, let us respond as not just hearers of the Word, but as doers also.
Watch this sermon, here.
Notes from Ky Martin's sermon on Sunday, June 8, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 4:1-6 Prepare to suffer Is. 50:6-8a I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting. 7 But the Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame. 8 He who vindicates me is near. The martial language indicates that discipline and grit are needed to live the Christian life, particularly in view of the suffering believers encounter. -Thomas R. Schreiner Some people won’t like you if you follow Jesus When a culture abandons biblical standards, when extramarital sex, cohabitation, and birth outside of marriage become normal, people attack the church for its moral snobbery and judgmentalism. Peter warns us that if we do take a stand, we need to expect slander, not applause. -Daniel M. Dorian This is one of the hardest things a new Christian has to face. Your friends liked you because you shared in “the same flood of debauchery.” It seemed great fun at times, but then you came to embrace Christ… But your friends have not… They will be surprised when you say “No.” -Juan Sanchez. Keep an eternal perspective Our outcome is glorious Suffering is good for us Let’s remember that suffering accomplishes God’s purposes. It exposes what or whom we are trusting (1 Peter 1:6–7). - Juan Sanchez Ecc. 7:2 It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart. Discipleship Questions: Verse 1 tell us to arm ourselves by thinking as Christ did about suffering. How did Christ arm himself for and against sufferings? What does it look like for us to do that? Have you ever lost friendships (or had them change) because you were following Jesus? Do you fear that we (or our kids) will experience greater persecution in the future? If yes, how should we handle that fear?
Notes from Lance Shumake's sermon on Sunday, June 1, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 3:18-22 Jesus suffered and died in order to bring us to God Jesus conquered death by his resurrection “A wonderful text is this, and a more obscure passage perhaps than any other in the New Testament, so that I do not know for a certainty just what Peter means.” —Martin Luther Problem #1 - he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison —Jesus preached through Noah to those who lived at that time (1 Peter 1:10–12) —Jesus proclaimed His victory to evil angels (see Genesis 6:1-4) Problem #2 - baptism now saves you —Scripture is clear - we are saved by grace not works —baptism pictures our salvation from God’s judgment through the resurrection of Christ “The waters of baptism, like the waters of the flood, demonstrate that destruction is at hand, but believers are rescued from these waters in that they are baptized with Christ, who has also emerged from the waters of death through his resurrection. Just as Noah was delivered through the stormy waters of the flood, believers have been saved through the stormy waters of baptism by virtue of Christ’s triumph over death.” —Thomas R. Schreiner, 1, 2 Peter, Jude —in baptism we are appealing to God for a good conscience "This appeal is an act of the heart looking away from itself and from all human instruments and calling on God, appealing to God, for grace to save.” —John Piper —in baptism we are pledging to God to live in a manner worthy of the gospel Jesus ascended to heaven and now reigns over everything “We can face suffering as Christians with confidence rather than panic, and hope rather than despair, because the road marked with Christian suffering is, no matter what its twists and turns are, the road to vindication and glory. The God who vindicated Jesus will vindicate you, and he will sustain your faith until that day.” –Juan R. Sanchez, 1 Peter For You Discipleship Questions: How does Jesus’ death and resurrection encourage us when we suffer? Why did we need Jesus to suffer and die to bring us to God? How does Jesus’ victory over death give us eternal hope? What are your thoughts regarding some of the problems in this passage? How does what Peter says about baptism elevate the importance of baptism? When were you baptized and how does this passage inform your understanding of baptism? How does knowing our victory is secured help us with all the things this life throws at us?
Notes from Ky Martin's sermon on Sunday, May 25, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 3:13-17 Nobody can (truly) hurt Christians Psalm 118:6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? Rom. 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? The train of thought is as follows: “No one will be able to harm believers on the future day if they are zealous for good” (v. 13). Indeed, even present suffering is not a sign of punishment but of blessing both now and especially in the future, on the day when God rewards his people with eternal life. -Thomas R. Schreiner Honoring Christ Erases Fear Share your faith with strength and gentleness Embrace balance Be prepared to share The truth of the gospel is a public truth that can be defended in the public arena. This does not mean, of course, that every Christian is to be a highly skilled apologist for the faith. It does mean that every believer should grasp the essentials of the faith and should have the ability to explain to others why they think the Christian faith is true. -Thomas R. Schreiner Be prepared to suffer “I’ve spent a number of years in India and Africa where I found much righteous endeavor undertaken by Christians of all denominations; but I never, as it happens, came across a hospital or orphanage run by the Fabian Society [a British socialist organization], or a humanist leper colony.” -Malcolm Muggeridge Be bold! We will likely suffer as Christians in this world, but that suffering is slight and temporary compared to the eternal inheritance that awaits us. The worst thing that can happen to us is that we die and receive our promised inheritance. Can you imagine how emboldened Christians would be if we only believed what Peter is saying? -Juan R. Sanchez Discipleship Questions: Does the fact that nobody can (truly) harm us comfort you? What would change if we lived like we really believe that? Are you a more confident person as someone who knows Christ? Does your security in Christ embolden you to take some risks in life, knowing that the worst that could happen is death? How equipped / prepared are you to give a reason for the hope that you have? What would grow your confidence and competence in that? Have you considered joining Michael Clark one day for evangelism at the harbor? Well….you should….
