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 Scott Sutton's sermon on Sunday, April 27, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 2:11-17 This is the beginning of a section addressing how God's people now function in this world. It begins with aliens and exiles and continues with servants, wives, husbands, and finally, all of you. 1.) Our identity defines our actions. We are sojourners and exiles (temporary, passing through, not at home) We have a heavenly citizenship Actions We abstain from the passions of the flesh Keep conduct among the Gentiles honorable (our conduct is for the benefit of other people) Honorable conduct wins souls… sojourners, exiles, and soul winners “Peter’s point is that believers’ behavior creates a context in which people will listen to God’s word. He is not teaching that ‘good deeds’ in themselves convert unbelievers, but they establish an environment for the Gospel-word to do so.” -Barnett 2.) Our identity defines our expectations (Unbelievers will respond to honorable conduct in 1 of 2 ways) Some will speak evil against us as though we are evildoers Some will see our good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation 3.) Our identity defines our view of authority (Does anyone here ever just want to do whatever you want to do, whenever you want to do it? That’s why laws exist) Be subject to every human institution (for the Lord's sake) This includes governors and emperors (no distinction between good/bad) The will of God... by doing good, we silence the ignorance of foolish people 4.) Our identity defines our view of freedom Don't use freedom as a cover-up for evil We are freed to serve God Honor, Love, and Fear Discipleship Questions: 1.)Why is it so important to understand our identity before talking about our behavior? 2.) How might this reality impact your parenting? For real, what are 3 ways that you can apply that this week? 3.) How is good conduct a form of evangelism? 4.) What do these verses say that we can expect from others? 5.) How can we honor a government that isn't always honorable? Seriously, what are 5 things we should immediately stop doing and 5 things we should immediately start doing? 6.) What are some tangible ways to honor others? Love the brotherhood? Fear God? Honor the Emperor? 7.) Should we fear the Emperor?
Notes from Ky Martin's sermon on Sunday, April 20, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 2:4-10 Everyone must accept or reject Jesus. He is the cornerstone. We choose to accept Him as the foundation of our lives or toss the truth aside. When we come to Jesus… We become part of His People 1 Pe 2:4-5 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. The cornerstone is The New Temple. From this we learn that following Christ entails joining his community, the church…The freelance Christian, who follows Jesus but is too good, too busy, or too self-sufficient for the church, is a walking contradiction. -Daniel M. Doriani We join a royal, holy, priesthood 1 Pet. 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Because of who Jesus makes us. We receive God’s mercy Fallen man is not simply an imperfect creature who needs improvement: he is a rebel who must lay down his arms….Now repentance is no fun at all. It is something much harder than merely eating humble pie. It means unlearning all the self-conceit and self-will that we have been training ourselves into for thousands of years. It means undergoing a kind of death. Acts 17:30-31 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” Discipleship Questions: Why is it impossible to be neutral about Jesus? Why do you believe that Jesus truly is the Son of God? Do you ever have doubts about this? If yes, what are they? According to 1 Peter 2:9, who are we after we come to Christ? Why does Paul say (in 1 Corinthians) that if Christ is not risen, our faith is in vain?
Notes from Scott Sutton's sermon on Sunday, April 13, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 2:2-3 Why do our souls ache for certainty? We are so eager for certainty that we will look for it in all the wrong places. - Certainty in our Finances [show slide from news] - Certainty in our Jobs [Acts 17:24-27] - Certainty in our Health [Covid] - Certainty in our Abilities [Ecclesiastes 3:11 “God has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.”] “Things that have never happened before are happening every day.” -Morgan Housel In these verses, God gives us what our souls ache for! 1.) You must be born again of imperishable seed - We have all been born of perishable seed o Impure souls o Disobedient to truth o Unloving insincerity toward others o Lack of loving effort o Impure hearts - We are withering grass and falling flowers - The imperishable seed is the living and abiding Word of God o Does not wither o Does not fall o Does not let us down o It remains forever o It MUST BE PREACHED! But still, how can we be certain that we have been born again? 2.) If you are born again, hope will be seen in your relationships When your relationship with God changes, God changes your relationships! - Sincere brotherly love - Love earnestly - Put away… o Malice o Deceit o Hypocrisy o Envy o All Slander 3.) If you are born again, hope will be seen in your appetite for God’s Word - Like newborn infants - Long for the pure spiritual milk Discipleship Questions: 1.) Where are some unhealthy places where you look for certainty? 2.) Why do you do that? 3.) What were some evidences of your perishable seed before you came to Christ? Any of that still lingering that needs to be repented from? 4.) Why does Peter call the Word of God the imperishable seed? 5.) In light of the text, how would you describe being "born again" to a 5-year-old? 6.) How has imperishable hope proven itself in your relationships? OR How might it if you lean into loving others earnestly? 7.) Why does Peter tell us that hope will be seen in our appetite for God's Word?
