Arm Chair Sermons by Thomas E Williams

MUSINGS - February 26, 2019

CLOSER THAN FAMILY

Matthew 12:46-50

While Jesus was still talking to the crowds, his mother and brothers were standing outside. They wanted to talk to him. Someone told him, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside. They want to talk to you." He replied to the man speaking to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" Pointing with his hand at his disciples, he said, "Look, here are my mother and my brothers. Whoever does what my Father in heaven wants is my brother and sister and mother."

Throughout this chapter Jesus had been responding to the Pharisees. Now, however, he is talking to the crowd. And while he was still talking, still teaching, still preaching he was interrupted with news that his mother and brothers wanted to talk to him.

I have some trouble imaging what that interruption would be like, to be in the middle of delivering a sermon and be told that my family wanted to talk to me. Can you imagine this happening in your church, with your pastor being interrupted by family members who have cone to visit? How disrespectful that was to Jesus and the to the crowd! It would be as if what his family had to say was more important than his teachings.

Jesus made use of the interruption as he turned it into a teaching moment. "Whoever does what my Father in heaven wants is my brother and sister and mother."

Who is your family? Are they the ones who share the same DNA? Or are they those who share the same beliefs, hopes, and convictions? Are these closer than family?

Tuesday, February 26, 2019

GO AND SIN NO MORE

MUSINGS - February 25, 2019
GO AND SIN NO MORE

Matthew 12:43-45
"When an evil spirit comes out of a person, it goes through dry places looking for a place to rest. But it doesn't find any. Then it says, 'I'll go back to the home I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean, and in order. Then it goes and brings along seven other spirits more evil than itself. They enter and take up permanent residence there. In the end the condition of that person is worse than it was before. That is what will happen to the evil people of this day."

Jesus was still speaking to the Pharisees, who had come asking for Jesus to do a miracle. He now explains what happens when the soul had been cleansed. He then warned that the freshly cleaned "house", if left empty, was like having a welcome mat and an unlocked door.

What does that teaching mean tho us? Do you remember the story of the woman caught in adultry? (John 8:2-11) The last thing Jesus said to her was, "Go and sin no more." Once we are freed from sin, we are to go and sin no more. But the reality is, it is humanly impossible to sin no more. Sin happens anytime that we choose our own will instead of following the will of God.

Sin literally means to miss the mark or wander from the path. Once we have been set back pin the correct path we need to stay on it. Fortunately, we have the Holy Spirit as our guide. And by having the Spirit indwelling we don't need to worry that our "house" had been left empty.

Monday, February 25, 2019

PRODUCE INSPECTOR

MUSINGS - February 24, 2019

PRODUCE INSPECTOR
Matthew 12:33-37
"Make a tree good, and then its fruit will be good. Or make a tree rotten, and then its fruit will be rotten. A person can recognize a tree by its fruit. You poisonous snakes! How can you evil people say anything good? Your mouth says what comes from inside you. Good people do the good things that are in them. But evil people do the evil things that are in them. "I can guarantee that on judgment day people will have to give an account of every careless word they say. By your words you will be declared innocent, or by your words you will be declared guilty." Jesus is here still speaking to the Pharisees who had claimed that he was casting out demons by the power of Beelzebul. He now tells them that you can tell what kind of tree it is by the fruit it produces.

Jesus, the tree of life, produces only good fruit. His fruit was that blind people see again, lame people are walking, those with skin diseases are made clean, deaf people hear again, dead people are brought back to life, and poor people hear the Good News. (Luke 7:22)

Jesus then accuses the Pharisees of producing rotten fruit and being poisones snakes that cause only harm to the people. "You burden people with loads that are hard to carry. But you won't lift a finger to carry any of these loads." (Luke 11:46)

I warn you, before you start judging other people's fruit, check your own produce. Are you helpful or harmful? Do you liftup or put down? Do you lighten the load or increase the burden? Are you a servant to others or a slaver? Only once you have honestly checked your own fruit for rot, can you begin to judge the fruit of others.

Saturday, February 23, 2019

UNFORGIVABLE SIN

MUSINGS - February 23, 2019

UNFORGIVABLE SIN

Matthew 12:30-32
"Whoever isn't with me is against me. Whoever doesn't gather with me scatters. So I can guarantee that people will be forgiven for any sin or cursing. However, cursing the Spirit will not be forgiven. Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven. But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven in this world or the next.

There is a sin that will never be forgiven, not in this age (the world) nor the next (heaven). That is bad news. That is VERY BAD NEWS! God doesn't want to destroy anyone but wants all people to have an opportunity to turn to him and change the way they think and act. (2 Peter 3:9) However, Jesus makes it very clear that in this one instance there is NO forgiveness.

So what exactly is Jesus speaking about? We have to go back a few verses to Matthew 12:22-24. Jesus cured a demon possessed man who could neither see nor speak. When the Pharisees heard this, they accused Jesus of working through the power of an evil spirit. They at that point, spoke against (blasphemed) the Holy Spirit at work through Jesus. And that is the sin for which there it's no forgiveness.

Friday, February 22, 2019

BLIND AND MUTE

MUSINGS - February 22, 2019
BLIND AND MUTE

Matthew 12:22-29
Then some people brought Jesus a man possessed by a demon. The demon made the man blind and unable to talk. Jesus cured him so that he could talk and see. The crowds were all amazed and said, "Can this man be the Son of David?" When the Pharisees heard this, they said, "This man can force demons out of people only with the help of Beelzebul, the ruler of demons." Since Jesus knew what they were thinking, he said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is ruined. And every city or household divided against itself will not last. If Satan forces Satan out, he is divided against himself. How, then, can his kingdom last? If I force demons out of people with the help of Beelzebul, who helps your followers force them out? That's why they will be your judges. But if I force demons out with the help of God's Spirit, then the kingdom of God has come to you. How can anyone go into a strong man's house and steal his property? First he must tie up the strong man. Then he can go through his house and steal his property.

What a poor man this was that was brought before our Lord. He could neither see nor speak and demon possessed as well. What a true example of the lost in every generation. The unsaved are blind to the glory of God and speak no praise to His name, all the while held in bondage by the evil one's deceits.

Jesus came to save all of us from the devil's grip. He opens the eyes of the spiritually and physically blind and loosens the tongue physically and spiritually so that we may sing praises to God.

BE CAREFUL HOW YOU JUDGE

MUSINGS - February 21, 2019

BE CAREFUL HOW YOU JUDGE

Matthew 12:14-21
The Pharisees left and plotted to kill Jesus. He knew about this, so he left that place. Many people followed him, and he cured all of them. He also ordered them not to tell people who he was. So what the prophet Isaiah had said came true: "Here is my servant whom I have chosen, whom I love, and in whom I delight. I will put my Spirit on him, and he will announce justice to the nations. He will not quarrel or shout, and no one will hear his voice in the streets. He will not break off a damaged cattail. He will not even put out a smoking wick until he has made justice victorious. The nations will have hope because of him."

As we read yesterday, Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, breaking the rabbinical law, which was punishable by death. He had also, in their eyes, committed blasphemy by claiming that he was Lord of the Sabbath. They wanted to kill him so he left the synagogue and many people followed him. Imagine if a person came into your church, did something they you consider sacrilegious, and then left, taking most of the congregation with him. Do you now understand how the synagogue leaders felt? You would, most likely, be outraged and filled with hate towards that person who was leading so many people away from what you believe to be the true and righteous path.

Before we judge the religious leaders of that day, maybe we should take a look at our own prejudices toward other denominations and sects. Remove the log from our own eyes. (Matthew 7:5)

WHEN IS IT RIGHT TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT?