Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev19960407.htm

MATTHEW: JESUS AS ISRAEL'S MESSIAH AND HIS MESSIANIC KINGDOM
Part VIII: The Proof Of Jesus As Israel's Messiah
B. Christ's Authenticating Comprehensive Authority Over His Disciples
(Matthew 8:18-20, 21-22)
  1. Introduction
    1. When we accept the Lord Jesus as our Savior, and receive eternal life and its many associated blessings, the sense of great relief and joy in entering God's blessings is a great focus for the believer.
    2. However, there is another side of the coin of being a follower of Jesus Christ. Once we are saved, we no longer have rights that we formerly considered ours. We become the property of our Lord, and He has comprehensive authority over all that we are, all that we have, and all we will ever become.
    3. Matthew 8:18-22 reveals this comprehensive authority of the Messiah, Jesus over His Kingdom's subjects:
  2. Christ's Authenticating Comprehensive Authority Over His Disciples, Matthew 8:18-20, 21-22.
    1. Jesus demanded comprehensive authority over His disciples' degree of fame in serving Him, 8:18-20.
      1. When a Scribe came to Jesus, claiming to want to follow him wherever he went, he was demonstrating a great desire to latch onto Jesus, a miracle-worker, for eventual fame with him:
        1. The scribes, like this man, were authorities on Jewish Law. They were highly educated, the scholarly class in Jewish society. Since they were authorities, they were the teachers--not the followers--who enjoyed fame in leadership in I srael, MacArthur, Matthew 8-15, p. 21.
        2. Normally, these scribes were fiercely loyal to the religious traditions that their forerunners had established, Ibid. Thus, for this scribe to agree not only to join Jesus, but as a follower, he was making what appeared to be a remarkably condescending decision that would impress Christ.
        3. However, Christ's response showed that the man really wanted fame in joining Jesus, the Miracle-worker. Jesus answered that He didn't even have possessions that lowly animals enjoyed, making fame in this life no part His life's goal, 8:20.
      2. Christ's revelation that He had no real fame in this life showed that if one follows Christ, he needs to abdicate his right to fame, being willing even to suffer defamation if need be to follow His will, 8:20!
    2. Jesus demanded comprehensive authority over His disciples' degree of fortune in serving Him, 8:21-22.
      1. Another disciple offered to follow Jesus after first going and burying his father, Mtt. 8:21.
      2. In that day, this expression was a veiled way of saying, "I first want to secure my inheritance"!
        1. As is used today in the Near East, the expression of buying one's father is not a way of saying that he has already died and the funeral needs to occur.
        2. Rather, it means staying at home and caring for one's elderly parents until they died, Ibid., p. 25.
        3. This practice was essential to receiving a fair share of the family inheritance: a man's inheritance was lost or reduced if he did not fulfill his expected family responsibilities of helping his aging parents.
      3. Jesus responded to this inheritance-conscious man, declaring that His disciples needed to put following Him a priority over cultural expectations and gaining a good inheritance, Mtt. 8:22. Those who were spiritually dead were to care for spiritually dead concerns like this life's wealth--not His disciples!
Lesson: Jesus' authority over His followers extends to control the degrees of fame and fortune that they achieve as this world defines fame and fortune. Every disciple of Christ needs to be willing to sacrifice all claims to personal fame and all claims to fortune if he wants to do the will of Christ.

Application: When we accepted Jesus as Savior, He also became our MASTER, a Master who has all rights to who we are, how others perceive us, and how much we obtain by way of the comforts or possessions that can provide those comforts in lif e. Anything less is unacceptable discipleship!

Application: (1) Are we prepared to be very famous or very unknown in living for Christ? Until we are not affected either way, we are not following Christ as proper disciples should. (2) Are we ready to become millionaires or become very impoverished in living for Christ? Unless we are willing to do either or both, we are not properly following Christ as good disciples should!