April 27, 2025

The Greatness of Suffering and Service – Matthew 20:20-28

The Greatness of Suffering and Service

Matthew 20:20-28

As Jesus continues to approach Jerusalem (see Matt. 20:17), the disciples are anticipating Jesus coming into His kingdom. Indeed, arriving in Jerusalem in Matthew 21, Jesus will openly accept praise as the Messianic King by His triumphal entry into the city on a donkey (Matt. 21:9). Yet, despite His repeated teachings about the true nature of His kingdom, even those closest to Him failed to understand it. Jesus had just predicted to His disciples His suffering, death, and resurrection that was coming in Jerusalem. Then, shockingly in the very next event, we see James and John, two of Jesus’ closest disciples, coming with their mother to ask for places of power and honor with Jesus in His kingdom.

What the disciples didn’t yet fully understand was that the Savior’s pathway to greatness wouldn’t follow the course they expected. They didn’t know that greatness in His kingdom led first through the path of service, suffering, and sacrifice. They could not yet comprehend that the way to His glorious crown required a stop first at the gruesome cross. They didn’t understand then that this was how true “greatness” in His kingdom would be accomplished.

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Richard Sipes / Sermons / Discipleship, Kingdom of God, Matthew, Service / 0

April 20, 2025

The Death and Resurrection of Jesus – Matthew 20:17-19

The Death and Resurrection of Jesus

Matthew 20:17-19

A few years ago a certain church marketing newsletter (Church’s Advertising Network) promoted a campaign to attract people at Easter. In this public relations campaign, they suggested that the church downplay the negative image of the crucifixion and focus only on the positive image of the resurrection. One pastor interviewed for the campaign gave his wholehearted endorsement, saying, “We are going to attempt to concentrate on the resurrection, and not the death of Jesus.”

Can you imagine Easter without the cross? Is it possible to have the resurrection without the crucifixion? It distorts the entire gospel if Christ’s crucifixion is separated from His resurrection. The way to the empty tomb must always go through the cross. The Savior who was raised from the dead on Sunday is none other than Christ Jesus who was crucified on Friday. Easter without a cross is a hoax.

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Richard Sipes / Sermons / Crucifixion, Gospel, Matthew, Resurrection / 0

April 13, 2025

The Last Will Be First – Matthew 20:1-16

The Last Will Be First

Matthew 20:1-16

Christianity is supremely a religion of grace. We sing about God’s amazing grace, grace greater than our sin. Paul’s epistles are saturated with the concept of God’s grace. But, even so, I think that God’s grace is often not well understood and sometimes not really believed. In his book, “What’s So Amazing About Grace,” Phillip Yancey points out that part of our problem is in the nature of grace itself.[1] Grace shocks us in what it offers. Grace is a gift that costs everything to the giver and nothing to the receiver. It is given to those who don’t deserve it, barely recognize it, and hardly appreciate it. In grace, God does for others what we would never do for them. By grace God saves what we think are the not-so-bad people and also the very worst of sinners. In fact, no one is saved apart from God’s grace.

Today we are looking at Jesus’ parable of the workers in the vineyard in Matthew 20. Although our text does not use the word “grace”, it powerfully illustrates it.

Think about the context in which Jesus taught this parable. Jesus is on His final journey to Jerusalem with His disciples (Matt. 19:1). The conflict between Jesus and His adversaries began to intensify, and the time for our Lord’s sacrificial death was drawing near. In Matthew 19, when some parents brought their little children to Jesus for Him to bless them, the disciples tried to prevent them. But Jesus rebuked His disciples saying, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 19:14). The scribes and Pharisees didn’t see it that way. They thought that heaven belonged to them, because of their religious efforts, and because of their positions.

Then a man came up to Jesus and wanted to know what he needed to do in order to have eternal life.

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Richard Sipes / Sermons / Jesus Christ, Kingdom of God, Matthew, Salvation / 0

April 6, 2025

Who Then Can Be Saved? – Matthew 19:23-30

Who Then Can Be Saved?

Matthew 19:23-30

Last time, we looked at Matthew’s account of the rich young ruler and his encounter with Jesus. Looking at this young man from the outside, it appeared like he had it all—wealth, youth, influence, and morality. He seemed to the life that many would long for. Yet he knew that things were not right with his soul. So, he came to Jesus asking, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” (Matt. 19:16).

Jesus first questioned him about his understanding of who is good, then directed him to keep God’s commandments, hoping to bring the young man to see his own sinfulness and need of the Savior. Although the young man claimed an eternal righteousness of keeping the commandments, he still did not have assurance of eternal life. So, he asked Jesus, “What do I still lack?” (Matt. 19:20).

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Richard Sipes / Sermons / Eternal life, Kingdom of God, Matthew, Salvation / 0

March 23, 2025

What Do I Still Lack – Matthew 19:16-22

What Do I Still Lack?

Matthew 19:16-22

In our study of Matthew 19, we come to another memorable story. It’s familiar to many of us because it is found in all three synoptic Gospels—Matthew, Mark, and Luke. It concerns a certain man who came to ask Jesus about eternal life. his man is commonly known as the “Rich Young Ruler.” Indeed, this man was rich. Matthew 19:22 says that “he had great possessions.” Twice in this passage Matthew refers to him as a “young man” (Matt. 19:20, 22). And in Luke’s account of this story, he is called “a certain ruler” (Luke 18:18). Perhaps he was a synagogue ruler or a local community leader. Certainly, he was a respected man of influence in his society. For this man to have achieved this a level of status at such a young age was a considerable accomplishment. And more than all that, this rich young ruler appeared to be an outstandingly moral man. He was able to say that, from his youth, he kept the commandments of God.

So here we find a man who, in the eyes of the world was a great success—a paragon of human goodness and greatness. And the context here in Matthew 19 sets him in significant contrast to the little children in the previous story. Remember that, as Jesus journeyed on His way to Jerusalem, little children were brought to Jesus for Him to lay His hands on them and pray for them (Matt. 19:13-15). The disciples didn’t think that the little children were very important—certainly not important enough to bother their Lord and Master. These little children had no status or achievements of which to boast. They were unimportant in the eyes of men. But Jesus rebuked the disciples and said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt. 19:14). The kingdom of heaven is for those who come to Jesus with child-like humility (Matt. 18:4) and faith (Luke 18:17).

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Richard Sipes / Sermons / Matthew / 0

March 16, 2025

Let the Little Children Come – Matthew 19:13-15

Let the Little Children Come

Matthew 19:13-15

Today, we come to a short and simple text in the middle of Matthew 19. It tells the heart-warming story about Jesus blessing the little children. This same story is included in the gospel of Mark (10:13-15) and the gospel of Luke (18:15-17). And in each of these accounts, the story is almost exactly the same. It begins with some parents bringing their children to Jesus. They wanted Jesus to place His hands upon the children, bless them, and pray for them. But the disciples attempt to turn the parents away. Jesus was displeased by His disciples’ response. He told them to allow and not forbid the children to come to Him. Jesus took them into His arms, blessed them, and prayed for them.

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Richard Sipes / Sermons / Children, Jesus Christ, Kingdom of God, Matthew / 0

March 9, 2025

Marriage and Divorce, Part 3 – Matthew 19:9-12

Marriage and Divorce, Part 3

Matthew 19:9-12

This is our third message in Matthew 19 on marriage and divorce. The subject came up in Jesus’ teaching because in Matthew 19:3, the Pharisees came to test Jesus by asking Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?” (Matt. 19:3). As we have said, their question exposed not only their position on the matter but their hard-heartedness.

In His answer, Jesus took them back to the very beginning—to God’s creation of man and woman in the first two chapters of Genesis.

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Richard Sipes / Sermons / Divorce, Marriage, Matthew / 0

March 2, 2025

Marriage and Divorce, Part 2 – Matthew 19:7-9

Marriage and Divorce, Part 2

Matthew 19:7-9

We are in Matthew 19, continuing where we left off last time. Remember in Matthew 19:1-6, the Pharisees came to test Jesus by asking Him about a religiously, politically, and emotionally charged issue: the subject of divorce. I realize that for many of you, the subject of divorce is a sensitive subject. Divorce has affected most every family whether directly or through parents, siblings, or children. I have no desire to add to the pain and grief of your situation. I simply desire to preach what the word of God says. And I pray that the Lord speaks conviction and comfort to our hearts through it.

In Jesus’ day, the issue of divorce was politically charged because Herod, the ruler of this area of Judea, had lustfully taken his brother’s wife as his own. When John the Baptist condemned him for this, Herod had John imprisoned and executed. The Pharisees would have relished seeing Jesus face the same fate. The issue was religiously charged because the Pharisees, knowing Jesus would likely take a firm stance against divorce (He had already done so in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:32), hoped to accuse Jesus of contradicting the Law of Moses. Therefore, they asked Jesus, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?” (Matt. 19:3).

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Richard Sipes / Sermons / Divorce, Marriage, Matthew / 0

February 23, 2025

Marriage and Divorce, Part 1 – Matthew 19:1-6

Marriage and Divorce, Part 1

Matthew 19:1-6

As we come to Matthew 19 today, we enter a new section in our study of Matthew. You may remember that Matthew organized his Gospel around alternating sections of teaching and narrative. Matthew 19:1 indicates the end of the previous teaching section with the familiar words, “…when Jesus had finished these sayings…” (cf. Matt. 7:28; 11:1; 13:53; 26:1). The “sayings” that Jesus had just finished uttering were the things that He taught in Matthew 18—sayings that concerned His love and watchful care for those who are His “little ones” by faith. Our relationship with Christ must determine our relationships with each other. We saw that Jesus receives humble, child-like believers and so must we (Matt. 18:5). Because Jesus loves His little ones who believe in Him, He takes sin seriously, and so should we (Matt. 18:6-9). God is not willing that even one of His little ones should perish, so He seeks to restore the wandering sheep, and so should we (Matt. 18:10-20). And because God offers unlimited forgiveness, so should we.

The narrative section that begins in Matthew 19:1 will take us all the way to Jerusalem and the events that precede Jesus’ crucifixion. Matthew writes, “Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these sayings, that He departed from Galilee and came to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them there.” (Matt. 19:1-2). Jesus’ Galilean ministry has come to an end. He will not return to Galilee again until after His resurrection. As Jesus approaches Judea and Jerusalem, the opposition He had been facing from the Jewish religious leaders will intensify. “They are on a collision course, the religious leaders wanting to get rid of Jesus, and Jesus knowing He came to die at their hands.”[1] But Jesus still has much ministry to do and much to teach His disciples before He goes to the cross.

In Matthew 19:3-12, Jesus teaches about marriage, divorce, and singleness in response to questions about these issues.

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Richard Sipes / Sermons / Divorce, Marriage, Matthew / 0

February 16, 2025

Forgiving a Brother- Matthew 18:21-35

Forgiving a Brother

Matthew 18:21-35

The topic of our text from Matthew 18 today is forgiveness. C.S. Lewis wrote this about forgiveness:

To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you. This is hard. It is perhaps not so hard to forgive a single great injury. But to forgive the incessant provocations of daily life—to keep on forgiving the bossy mother-in-law, the bullying husband, the nagging wife, the selfish daughter, the deceitful son—how can we do it? [1]

In Matthew 18:21-35, Jesus teaches us about forgiveness.

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Richard Sipes / Sermons / Forgiveness, Matthew / 0

The Greatness of Suffering and Service

The Death and Resurrection of Jesus

The Last Will Be First

Who Then Can Be Saved?

Matthew 19:23-30

What Do I Still Lack?

Matthew 19:16-22

Let the Little Children Come

Matthew 19:13-15

Marriage and Divorce, Part 3

Matthew 19:9-12

Marriage and Divorce, Part 2

Matthew 19:7-9

Marriage and Divorce, Part 1

Matthew 19:1-6

Forgiving a Brother

Matthew 18:21-35

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