Matthew 7:1-12
Introduction:
My challenge and word to us this morning is in hopes of us being able to answer for ourselves one of the most important questions we will ever ask and answer for ourselves.
Is He the One?
In this passage from Matthew 7 I want to look at the
question
, the
evidence
, the
challenge
, the
expectation
and the
opportunity
.
Transition/Context:
John the Baptist is in jail.
Question
: Is John the Baptist really asking or is he looking for confirmation…or both as to Jesus’ identity?
I. The Question
–
Verse 3
“
Are you the promised Messiah we’ve been waiting for?”
Application:
Since Jesus’ birth, this has been the question!
Messiah
= Is Jesus the
promised deliverer
?
Mashiach
(messiah) “anointed one,” or “chosen one.”
Transition
: What Jesus does in answering John’s question is present or appeal to evidence.
II. The Evidence
–
Verse 4-5
Question
: What have you heard and seen?
Question
: My emphasis here is what have you/I/We seen? What have you heard? What do you believe? What do you understand as true?
Question
: Is the evidence enough for you and I?
Transition
: At this point, having asked ourselves the question and examined the evidence, we come to the challenge.
III. The Challenge
–
Verse 6
Question
: What is the challenge? Not turning away from what we believe and are convinced of.
Application
: Not everyone who believes follows! Why?
Transition
: Let me move on to what I am calling the expectation.
IV. The Expectation
–
Verse 7-15
Jesus goes into a little discourse about what they thought / expected from John the Baptist.
He wasn’t ‘fanciful,’ ‘cool,’ ‘hip,’ ‘good looking,” etc… He was actually pretty wild! Different, unique, non-conforming and strong!
Application
: I bring this up because of what we might expect and how that affects our following of Christ.
Question
: Does your faith and savior have to be ‘hip?’ What if the message seems ‘strong?’ What happens when things don’t go as expected?
Jesus is not a Rock Star! But He did created them!
Transition
: All that said, questioned, challenged and understood, I finish with the opportunity.
V. The Opportunity
–
Verse 16-19
The stage has been set, the music is being played, the dance floor is open!
Question
: What will you and I do with the opportunity? Or will be ignore and find an excuse?
Conclusion
: If we have come to an affirmative conclusion about the genuineness and validity of Jesus as King, Lord, and Savior, what conclusions or consequences should follow?
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