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INTRO:
The Author - (Matthew - Levi)
Lets read of his conversion - Lk.5:27-32.
Tax collector - Matt. was a Jew who collected Taxes for the Roman
Gov. - They were Dishonest, & Despised by loyal Jews!
Q: If you were to reach the Jews for Jesus, whod ya pick? Not Levi!
I think Levis heart was stirred by pure & simple someone cares about
me & loves me! (Most likely no one else did).
After opening his Heart, he opened his Home!
Matthew wanted his friends saved!
Notice - Sinners were always comfortable around Jesus! It was
the religious people who had a hard time around Him!
After opening his Home, he opened his Hand!
He kept records by vocation - its only fitting he would grab a
pen & keep a new record!
Whatever is in our hands presently God will use!
Moses / Rod - Use it as an instrument of authority!
David / Sling Shot - Take Goliath!
Peter / a Net - Ill make you fishers of men!
Matthew / Pen - Start writing!
Background -
This book is appropriately placed at the beg. of the N.T. rt. next to the
O.T.. for it bridges the two! (Matt. quotes from or alludes to the O.T.
129 times!) [He shows fulfilled Prophecy, & that Jesus is the
Messiah!]
This book does Not unfold Chronologically but Topically!
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GENEALOGY (vs.1-17)
Jesus Foster Fathers Genealogy!
vs.1 - Matt. starts by saying Jesus is the rightful heir to the throne of Israel!
Racially - thru Abraham (Ab. seed would be blest)
Royally - thru David (couldnt build God a house, but God would
build a house thru him! 2 Sam.7:13)
Since Herod destroyed all genealogies in A.D.70, There is no
Jew today who can claim w/certainty & authority to be a son of
Ab. & a son of David except Jesus! - Here, is the only
preserved genealogy in the world today!
Lets look at some Bright Flowers among seemingly Barren ground!
4 - Women in a Genealogy?
Tamar - Mentioned for those Jews proud of their male
superiority, & their sense of family responsibility?
Judah/Er/Onan,Shelah.
Rahab - (the x-prostitute)For those proud of their sexual purity!
Ruth - (Gentile/Moabite) For those proud of their Racial Purity!
Bathsheba - For those proud of their History of their great king
Dont ever say God cant use you because of what
youve done! - (10 min. ago, or 10 yrs. ago!)
Tamar - Ive deceived!
Rahab - Ive got a bad reputation!
Ruth - I wasn't raised a Christian!
Dont be a Scab Picker - Leave the past as that.....Past!
We cant pick our relatives! But He did! Especially to
show His incredible Love for Sinners! Thats the Good
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News!
The stage is now set for God to do a New Thing ,Broader than Israel!
vs.16 - All the Begots till Joseph!
GOD WITH US! (vs.1-25)
vs.18 - Imagine one of our 15 yr. old high school girls saying,Im pregnant,
but its not what you think, its God!
vs.19 - Joseph takes a stand for righteousness - But he is also merciful!
What a Man!
A brief glimpse at 4 names for Jesus!
Human Name - Jesus - The Greek form of the Heb.Joshua(a very
popular name).
Mary didnt say,Oh Joseph lets call him Jesus, I just love the
sound of it! No,it meant something! - Jehovah is Salvation!
Official Name/Title - Christ - The Greek form of the Heb. Mashiach or
Messiah! The Anointed one
In the O.T. 3 groups were anointed: Prophets, Priests, & Kings!
Descriptive Name - Immanuel/God with us - A descriptive Title of His
earthly ministry!
John Wesley died w/this on his tongue, & let us live w/it on our
hearts! The best of all is God is with us!
His Kingdom Name - Jehovah Tsidkenu - The Lord our Righteous
(Jer.23:6)
vs.21 - He will save His people from their sins!
Mans sin is 3 - fold:
Our Nature - Is enmity toward God!
Rom.5:12
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Albert Einstein said,It is easier to denature plutonium
than to denature the evil spirit of man!
Our state - Is the absence of Righteousness!
Rom.3:21,22
Our Actions - Are proof, when we violate or disobey the
revealed will of God!
Rom.2:4-11
If you havent let go of your Sins, you are holding onto a
Hand Grenade w/the pin pulled out!
What is meant by Sins in vs.21?
There are many different words used for sin!
Transgression (parabasis - ) __
def. - An overstepping(breaking) of the law. The divine
boundary between good & evil. {Rom.2:23}
Iniquity (anomia - ) '_
def. - Lawlessness. The condition of w/o law - whether by being
ignorant to it or because of violating it. {1 Jn.3:4}
Error (plane - ) _
def. - A departure from righteousness. A wandering, a
forsaking of the right path. {James 5:20}
Trespass (paraptoma - ) '
def. - A false step, a blunder. Lit. a fall beside. A deviation
from uprightness & truth. {Eph.2:1}
Unbelief (apistia - ) __
def. - Faithless, want of faith. {Rom.11:20, 3:3}
Sin (hamartia - ) '_
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def. - Missing the mark! A failure to meet the divine standards.
{Rom.3:23 & Mt.1:21 --> Our text}
No one has Hit the mark on there own - Its impossible!
The Koran says,The door is closed & the way is closed.
Jesus says,I am the way......I am the door.
Many a procrastinator counts the cost of following Jesus but
fails to count the cost of NOT following Him!
If your just changing on the outside your just fooling yourself!
Read (Our Daily Bread Nov.14)
D.L.Moody said,To create, God had only to speak;
To Redeem, He had to suffer!