When Jesus Turned Up the Heat, Part 2

Most of the stories told him the gospel according to Matthew were straightforward and clear the snapshots from the first century provide a vivid picture of Jesus and the people he encountered the passage were looking at today. However, there's a measure of complexity and mystery today on Insight for living Chuck Swindoll's teaching from Matthew chapter 11. Jesus was speaking to his disciples in a gathering of locals. He sharply rebuked them, and in this lively exchange or warnings that apply to us today, Chuck titled today's message when Jesus turned up the friend of mine sent me a wonderful quote on prayer this past week I want to pass along to you the statement John Piper wrote that prayer should be used as a wartime walkie-talkie to call in air strikes not a bill to ring the Butler to come fluff a pillow.

Good we call in air strikes because our times are chaotic. Our nation is awash. Our culture has lost its way and even some who wants to embrace the truth, have wandered from it by the grace of God were able to call in help for ourselves, for we are little better. Given our old nature. May God help us in this deity to be people of the truth and belief and behavior that's pretty you are no Butler. Our father waiting for our command.

You are the sovereign God of heaven and we await your will guide us. We pray in the way we should go. Maybe focus our attention on you and away from ourselves. What a novel thought in this day in which we live, deliver us, our father from this narcissistic constant attention to what we want and how we feel and what we desire or what we deserve and remind us that by your grace and by your grace alone. We are able to live and move and have our being.

Thank you for your watch care over us, O God, how much we needed. We live in a land that is long since left the truth that you provide for us to live by. Even those you lead us are far astray, and some who wants preach the truth now deny it and even live against the us from our indifference or pride and bring us to our knees as we call on you for help. Bring your person to the place of responsibility over our nation.

You guide us. Our father in these tenuous times and remind us that we are not our own.

We have been bought with a price make us ever grateful for the Savior who loved us and gave himself for us and protect us.

We pray from those who would bring harm those who would kill and destroy. We don't deserve it but we requested ministers through your word today in a special way and use these hard sayings bringing them to life so that we understand them, and more importantly we obey them give us ears not only to hear, but wills to heed what you have declared amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. We all were lost but now were found we were blind but now we see speak to those today who were still blind. Remind all of us that we are recipients of your matchless grace which allows us to call you. Our father, the matchless name of our Redeemer, our Lord Jesus Christ. We pray everyone said you're listening to site for living to study the book of Matthew with Chuck Swindoll. Be sure to download his searching the Scriptures by going to Insight world.or/studies. Another message from Chuck about when Jesus turned up the heat when I come to Matthew chapter 11.

I don't think anyone simple what's the subject that Jesus is dealing with these the Messiah.

He's offered the kingdom of heaven to people who don't want it all began with John the baptizer.

You may recall who came out of the wilderness as the forerunner of the Christ of the Messiah and he did his job will he stepped up faithfully carried out his responsibilities and then went a little too far with Herod Antipas and as a result you may remember from our last time he was thrown in prison and now Jesus on his own. Having talked about how great Tron is addresses.

Further, the subject that these people were rejecting as I read the verses before us. I get the feeling that Jesus takes off the gloves and turns up the heat. He's put up with them for a while and now it's time for them to hear it straight from his mouth there, responsible with the information he has been giving them. And they must respond or they will never know the joy of what he has to offer them. He says in verse 12. From the time John the baptizer began preaching until now the kingdom of heaven. I believe it could be read has suffered from violence by violent people. It is not been well received.

It is not been embraced. There were those who have viciously attacked the message and want nothing to do with it before John came all the prophets and the law of Moses. Look forward to this present time. They had spoken of it. They had written about it. And now that we find ourselves in the here and now you want nothing to do with it. And if you're willing to accept what I say is Elijah meaning he speaks is one like unto Elijah, the one the prophet said would come. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand the words you will need to have the same kind of forceful devotion to follow the teaching that the majority of you in your own vicious and forceful way are rejecting the messy and denying what I am offering.

It's a deeply emotional and passionate word of warning fact he says in so many ways also hear these words must heed them. He goes on. Not only is there the vicious and violent attack on the message that he offers.

Please observe that there is sort of a game played and he refers to them as that we can verse 16 to what can I compare this generation, like children playing a game in the public square, complaining to their friends. We played wedding songs and you to the dance. We played funeral songs and you didn't Lord. I think it's a direct slam against John the baptizer who came out of the wilderness looking weird sounding strange, but a message that cut like a hot knife through butter. As he told them to repent. As he spoke of the one who was the Lamb of God, taking away the sin of the world.

Look at what they did next day called her names. Verse 18.

John didn't spend his time eating and drinking, so you gave him a name is a demoniac. No one dress like that would be in his right mind.

No one sounding like that would be a mature adult. He's weird must be a demon he's demonized all of those today who think of Jesus as meek and mild heaven really digested.

Matthew 1112 26 is a strong word's because they would not heed his message.

He told them the truth about what they think Eddie isn't through he hasn't finished beginning at verse 20. He begins to denounce towns that had seen a lot of him and watched him work and heard him teach and witnessed his miracles. He names them for us what the verse says Jesus began to denounce the towns, for he had done so many of his miracle because they hadn't repented of their sins and turn to God. Woe to you cores seen woe to you that SATA wolves you, Capernaum. The words are repeated and they are anguishing words of sorrow, not anger. He's heartbroken.

This was the area where Jesus spent much of his time and performed many of his miracles. It was interesting. Nowhere else to be read anything significant or hardly the name cores seen in Bethsaida only here read of Capernaum, because that's sort of his home away from home for Peter live and his mother-in-law live with them is where Jesus called the disciples along the shore.

The northernmost part of the Sea of Galilee is where Jesus Kept returning to after he had done ministry elsewhere. So we read of Capernaum, but Bethsaida and closing are virtually unknown. Why is that significant will am reminded of the last verse in the Gospel of John. Many other things Jesus did and taught which are not contained in this book if they were all recorded right down to the last detail. The world could not contain the books so to put it bluntly, we know much less then we know more of what Jesus did and said that we wish to we really know very little. Only what is revealed in the Gospels and mentioned time to time in the letters. Here's a classic case in point. Not a word is said of what he didn't cores he or the works he carried out in Bethsaida but they knew some of these people were from there father words of sorrowful anguish because they didn't care. It's a statement regarding their indifference, their passivity when I was a student in seminary. I remember one of our lecturers came in forget is subject now, but I'll never forget one of his line.

He made the statement that to this day I can remember the moment I heard passivity is an enemy. Another word at an another word for passivity would be indifferent. Business as usual kind of up who cares. I read about a teacher who was teaching high school, and there were always these two boys sitting up near the front got there too late to get a backseat and they were bored and made it known to the teacher that they were bored and one day he just got his belly full of it turned around the chalkboard. Back in those days, and as the sparks flew from the chalky wrote a PA PHY underline these big six it's littered a PA PHY that is your problem when the kids looked at the other goes at pay fee was that mean the other guy goes who care less. Bethsaida is coursing. That's the Bible Belt and were the buck to love it right where we live points east and points west on a little point toward the north and you're in the bill go to most of the town and you'll find churches go to larger towns and you'll find hundreds of churches proclaiming proclaiming announcing denouncing declaring the truth pleading for response and it's business as usual. Who cares got it little further when you find ourselves in a church that believes in and constantly declares the truth you hear more truth in one month. The average person will hear in his lifetime. You will hear the name of Jesus regularly when you are in this place of worship and so you should. He is our message you will hear of his cross. You'll hear of his resurrection. You'll hear of his substitutionary death, you'll hear of is soon coming. You'll hear of his plan for his kingdom where he will come as King of Kings and Lord of Lords literally set up his kingdom on this earth. You will hear that in here that and hear that and hear that and that until if you're not careful you starting on I heard this before from somebody smarter you are are far more gifted take heed men and women in the Bible Belt.

I warn you I warn us, we find ourselves in the core of evangelical conservatism need evangelism and the truth of God more than ever.

I can guarantee you. Most of the people in your neighborhood have never once known a meaningful relationship with the living God. Many could not tell you in one sentence. Who is Jesus Christ. We were building this building. We set a group of people with clipboards and we had them do that with great tact asking a few questions. One of them at this mall here that we just been built.

Who do you is Jesus Christ. You have no idea how many responded I don't know. One even said to his buddy. Is this a trick question. Who is Jesus.

What did he mean to you in your life to the point of this here.

You have conducted yourselves like children, petulant and spoiled. Even when I been among you, your ignored house visible and how significant was Jesus work among them. Look at what he says if the miracles I did in you. This is verse 21. If the miracles I did in you that is in your city had been done in wicked Tyre and Sidon, which epitomized pagan Gentile corruption and a life of worthlessness, seacoast cities, if I don't my work in Tyre and Sidon, as I've done it here, the people would have repented of their sins long ago clothing themselves in burlap and throwing ashes on their head all colloquialism for abject humility until you Tyre and Sidon will be better off on Judgment Day that you coursing that SATA Capernaum and you people of Capernaum. Would you be honored and never know know so proud of your seacoast town talking about the beautiful view you have of the sea, the lovely flowers are growing the hillside know will be no better off if the miracles I did for you had been done in wicked Sodom goes even further than Tyre and Sidon, you would still be here today tell you, even Sodom would be better off on Judgment Day the hear of the evangelical triangle would see more the truth and heard more the truth than Dallas-Fort Worth and San Antonio put together why what a difference it would make you here in the center. What are you doing about how would you respond couple of things stand out to me that I think are worth remembering the kind of things we want to take home with us after a message like this is the first it's easy for people to forget the responsibilities of privilege, the greater your privilege, the greater your responsibility, the greater the truth, the more the truth, the more it must make a difference in how you live.

But when you are privileged. It is easy to take it all for granted. I may let you in a little bit of my early life. I was not raised in privilege environment. I know when my mom and dad dropped to their knees at a previous place we were renting and they were bringing before the Lord the opportunity to buy this house in East Houston and end date. They poured out their hearts to the Lord and ask him to guide them.

After all, it would cost $5995 to buy the whole. My dad struggled with whether they could afford. Well they worked out a way and we moved we moved to East Houston nice little neighborhood. Very very pleasant place to live but I didn't realize that that we didn't have much on whatever button live like we did on Queen Street there in East Houston.

By the way, don't drive through their these days of the shed windows rolled up N. Lot Top Pl. I noticed tough.

I thought every school had stabbing went on regularly through the school year where I would high school but I was improving, but had I been. I wonder if I would become the man I am today. The grace of God Chuck Swindoll is midway through his message and I'll encourage you to stay with us because you close today's program was an important comment that's coming up in just a moment you're listening to a study in Matthew chapter 11 about the intense moment when Jesus turned up the heat and this is insight for living. To learn more about this ministry. Please visit us online@insightworld.org when you're reading your Bible and you come across disconcerting passages like the one we heard today.

It's imperative to understand the historical context in which it was written and is a good time to remind you about the Swindoll study Bible because it's a wonderful resource for cross-referencing difficult passages and gaining insight from a man who spent a lifetime digging into God's word with the Swindoll study Bible open in your lap. You'll have access to decades of personal study and insight laid side-by-side with the Scriptures and its written. Of course, in the approachable style. You come to expect from Chuck to purchase a copy of the Swindoll study Bible go to insight.org/offer or call us if you listening in the US dial 1-800-772-8888. In closing, we like to send out a resounding word of thanks to all those who support insight for living financially even during this challenging year of multiple distractions are listening, family has demonstrated their generous commitment to seeing this Bible teaching ministry move forward and were profoundly grateful to if you're in the business world. You likely have some idea what it means to close the books on a financial year well and insight for living, our nonprofit organization will close the financial year on June 30. The day is coming soon. Fiscal year end. We call it yes it's an accounting term, a mile marker and annual turning point for bookkeepers and accountants and ministries like ours and insight for living is far more than any of those business terms. We set financial goals for June 30 that need to be met.

That's the business part but this is not a business you know this.

It's a ministry and so what I hear the deadline on June 30 I think about people, men and women like you folks who rely on us to dispense and declare the truth of God's word day in and day out. Sure, we want insight for living like an efficient business behind-the-scenes because we know that's prudent and that's why it's we have a wonderful staff to help us do that. But we have never lost sight of those we reach and the one we serve. So now can I count on you to help us. Your generous donation today will not only care for the business side of this ministry, but far more important.

Your donation will help us reach more people with insight for living today's the day I'm counting on you.

Thank you Chuck and let me explain how you can respond today.

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