Access Granted
Website Editor • July 22, 2020
From Pastor Ky Martin's message on Matthew 8:1-17:
After Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount, the crowds were ASTONISHED at his teaching — he was teaching as one who had *authority* and not as a scribe. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Matthew 8 shows Jesus using this authority to not only HEAL people but to give them ACCESS to God! The first three examples Matthew gives are accounts of the leper, a centurion, and Peter's mother-in-law:
The Leper
In Jesus’ day, the most despised and rejected people were those with leprosy. People with this infection were deemed unclean and untouchable. They were cast out of their homes and families to live in isolation.
In Matthew 8:2, a leper approaches Jesus KNOWING that He alone had the power to cure his incurable affliction.
Jesus, in response, stretched out His hand and *touched* the unclean man. Immediately, the leper was healed.
In touching the man, Jesus broke the Law of Moses (Lev. 13:45-46) — a taboo of taboos — but, instead of becoming unclean Himself, He took the man’s disease: abolished it, and released it. He healed the man and gave him (...an outcast among outcasts!) access to God Himself.
Jesus shows us that there’s no person beyond the reach of our God. He touches the untouchables; He heals the unhealables; He loves the unloveables.
The Centurion
The next appeal for miraculous help comes from a centurion, a Gentile. Matthew tells the story in a way which emphasizes the significance of an approach to a Jewish Messiah from a non-Jew.
The centurion comes to Jesus seeking healing for a servant lying paralyzed at his home. Jesus offered to come and heal the man, but the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word and my servant will be healed.”
Jesus MARVELED at this man’s faith and said, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you many will come from east and west recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.”
The picture Jesus paints is one of Jews and Gentiles united together under His reign. ALL are welcome at this table.
Peter's Mother-In-Law
The account of Peter’s mother-in-law stands in contrast to that of the leper and the centurion, because of it’s simple-ness. It is simply the story of Jesus meeting with illness and responding with immediate healing power.
In this account, no one pleas for healing. Jesus simply sees her and goes to her.
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Through all of these examples, we see Jesus giving people access to Himself (God) in ways that wouldn't have been possible without Him.
From Moses' Tabernacle to Soloman's Temple, the only way for a person to come near God was to enter the "Holy of Holies". According to Jewish Law, only a high priest could enter this most sacred place, and only once a year at that. Surrounding the Holy of Holies were different levels of access at the temple in which your race, social status, and gender determined how close you could come to the most holy place.
In sharing the accounts of the leper (who wouldn't have been allowed anywhere near the temple), the centurion (who could have only entered the temple court), and Peter's mother-in-law (whose gender who have prohibited her from nearness to the Holy of Holies)
-- Jesus breaks this old covenant system and gives us something better.
Instead of having to go to the temple to be near to God, Jesus literally shows up at a woman's bedside. He met her where she was, just as He meets us where we are.
Jesus shows us that there’s no person beyond the reach of our God.
He touches the untouchables; He heals the unhealables; He loves the unloveables.
In coming to earth and dying for us on the cross, Jesus made a way for us ALL to have access to Him. That access -- nearness to Him -- is so much greater than any miracle or any healing we can imagine.
Want access? He already did the work. All you have to do is have faith, like the centurion, and believe.
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?
