The Son of Man

Krista Wilson • February 17, 2021

Summary of sermon on Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 from Pastor Ky Martin.

Our sermon text this week covered Jesus' Parable of the Weeds in Matthew 13: 24-30, and His explanation of the parable in verses 36-43.

There are three things that Jesus wants us to see from this story:


(1) Jesus is the Son of Man.


This term was a popular title in the Old Testament but used with very different meanings:


  1. Son of Man as the apocalyptic judge.
  2. Son of Man as one of us -- fully human in a full, low, fragile mortal state
  3. Son of Man as a representation of man before God.


Jesus used the term "Son of Man" when teaching so that He could reveal Himself to those "who have ears", but to also be confusing and conceal Himself to those who would want to harm Him for claiming to be God.


When He explains the Son of Man in this text, it is clear that He is referring to Himself as judge.



(2) There will be judgement.


The Son of Man has come to judge the world.


This often comes as an unpleasant thought. It's often those who aren't being oppressed who don't like to think of God as being a judge. Although some of us might going through hard times, here in the US, we are not an oppressed people who are constantly being taken advantage of.


For those who are oppressed, the idea of God being a good judge is really good news! The Israelites, at the time, were living this daily. They had been under oppression and rule of foreign governments for hundreds of years. They were living in a  difficult situation with oppression and abuse where they were longing for someone to come in as judge and issue justice. Israel thought of God's judgement as a way God revealed His love for them.



Jesus is saying here that there will be a day when judgement will come when God rights all wrongs. God’s love is revealed through His promise of judgement.


Right now the righteous and the evil are growing together but judgement is coming.


(3) Things are going to get worse before they get better. (v28)


The servant is asking the master if he wants him to go destroy the weeds. And the master says NO, because in doing that you are going to destroy the good crop. It can be compared to if we had tilled a fresh garden, planted some flowers and bushes, and a few weeds pop up. Then you till the whole thing under and start over. It is that same idea. 


Jesus is saying that for a time judgement is going to be deferred. The weeds will grow with the wheat. As time passes and the church grows, people who are with Jesus and opposing Jesus will be right alongside each other until the end when Jesus separates the sinners from the righteous.


There is going to be difficulty and persecution but there will come a time at the end of that when Jesus will put everything right and the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.


Here, we can go to church and worship freely. This hasn't always been the case and isn’t the case for others in different countries. The more difficulty we are going through, the more we look for and long for that day of judgement.


On the other side, often when things are going well for us, we want to push this judgement day aside because we like how things are going. The danger in that is that none of those things have been promised to us.


What Jesus has promised us is that at the end of the age those who know him will be removed from the difficulties and struggles and will shine like the sun set on a high place in the kingdom of our Father.


We can't set our hope in the things of the world. We can set our hope in the day that Jesus returns and takes His children home.



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Watch this sermon.

Freed to Serve

April 28, 2025
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?

Cornerstone

April 22, 2025
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?

Born Again

April 16, 2025
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?
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