“The Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—are four different eyewitness accounts of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.
Sometimes they tell the same stories from different angles—like four people watching the same event from different seats in a stadium or 4 eye witnesses to a car accident.
When two or more Gospels record the same event, we call those ‘parallel passages.’
These give us a fuller picture of what happened, because each writer emphasizes different details to make specific points about who Jesus is.”

“Think of it like four camera angles in a documentary. Matthew might focus on fulfillment of prophecy, Luke might highlight Jesus’ compassion, Mark emphasizes urgency, and John gives theological depth. Together, they show us the one true Christ from four inspired perspectives.

Matthew 8:14-17

Text: Matthew 8:14–17

Parallel Texts: Mark 1:29–34; Luke 4:38–41

“He Took Our Illnesses”

When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.

When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

“He took up our infirmities

and bore our diseases.”

Sometimes, our deepest needs drive us to unexpected places and people for help.

(5) When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. (6) “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.”

(7) Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?”

(8) The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. (9) For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

(10) When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. (11) I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. (12) But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

(13) Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that moment.

Luke 7:1-10 We learn from Luke’s account of this story that obviously the elders of the Jews knew this man and therefore sent these elders to find Jesus and have Him come to heal his servant.

We would like to ask you all:

• What is your life built on? If you could think of your life in terms of having a foundation what would that foundation be? Picture it. Name it.
  
  
  
• What happens when storms come—social, financial, emotional, relational, spiritual, or legal?
  
  
  
• Will your life stand or collapse built on your named foundation? Where and to whom do you turn when you are in a violent emotional storm?

Jesus speaks directly to this in Matthew 7:24–29:

(24) “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
(25) The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.
(26) But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.
(27) The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
(28) When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, (29) because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.” This is God’s word

John talked about the names of God and that He alone is to be worshipped. We are worshipping all the time, like a garden hose…it is what we aim it at, what we think will save us is what we worship. Our master is what we worship. We are building on this thought: Jesus is Lord, and Lord is not his first name, but his title. MASTER. Which we have recently defined and discussed.

Now we are back to the sermon on the mount, and like we have said over and over it builds on itself…Jesus warns us to avoid the destruction of the wide path, but to CHOOSE the straight and narrow path. Then goes into details about the difficulties of doing so…He is warning that we are in great danger of being led astray by false teachers, he calls them ravenous wolves in sheep’s clothing. Because of their attractive character, that successful personality, and easy doctrine, which is more prevalent than ever… it is so deceiving and so subtle. Now Jesus shows us the danger not of false prophets out there but inside right here in ourselves, it is the terrible danger of self-deception and self-delusion.

Matthew 7:21–23 (NIV)

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”

Samantha Testimony

The Manchineel Tree looks like a tropical apple or guava tree, and its fruit looks enticing. This tree, by appearance, is beautiful. They are found in Florida, the Caribbean, and Central America, mostly in coastal regions.

This tree, by appearance, is quite nice. But never stand under one or even touch it. Its sap is poisonous and will cause blistering of the skin upon contact.

And if it’s raining and you’re standing under it for shelter, you might as well call 911. By the way, eating its fruit will kill you. The Manchineel tree is the most dangerous tree on earth, so beware.

Why do I mention this? Because we are talking about that which is destructive yet doesn’t look like it could lead to destruction: false prophets. They are everywhere today and prophet btw does not necessarily mean telling the future, its a person who speaks with spiritual knowledge claiming to be from God.

Sermon Title: Discerning Truth in a Deceptive Age"

Matthew 7:15-20

(15) Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. (16) By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? (17) Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. (18) A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. (19) Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. (20) Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

Let’s read it! Matthew 7:12-14 (NIV):

(12) So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

(13) Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.

(14) But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Matthew 7: 6-11 - Keep asking, seeking and knocking

Good morning, church. Today we continue our journey through the Sermon on the Mount—a teaching from Jesus that turns worldly thinking upside down and invites us into the kingdom of God. Growing up, I thought these were one-off lessons that I was to obey or try to obey. As we have been journeying through learning this Sermon Jesus preached, actually built upon itself and was designed to show us what living in the KINGDOM of God is like right now…that those who decide to follow Jesus to be his disciples would live this way. It is a roadmap, an instruction manual and a standard, a yardstick for which we can measure our life to see if we are living our best life.

Matthew 7: 6-11

(6) Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

(7) “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. (8) For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

(9) “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? (10) Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? (11) If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

In the past month or so, we have gone from: don’t be like the hypocrites, “do not worry”, “do not judge”, to “ask, seek and knock”. When we live in the Kingdom of God and we know our Father…We are not to worry and we shouldn't worry, which causes anxiety, especially about things that are outside our control. But if we are worrying about something we screwed up on, that often lead me to pray. For me, every time. So I ask for God’s help. And He does. I put it in God’s hands and then I don’t need to worry. But if I do keep worrying then I’m doubting God’s goodness, and unfairly judging Him.

Moving onto chapter 7, We are not to judge (condemn) each other, but yet we are to judge (correct) each other-- correction judging is based on accountability and mutual encouragement. So, we are to hold one another accountable which is a very godly thing to do and yet we are to judge based on love without being hypocrites.