Matthew 21:23……..Working

Matthew 21:23……..Working

21:23 Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority? (For More Expository Notes See Book) 

Extended Sermons

“Calls for seeing that we’re coming to Jesus in submission and obedience, and not to question or challenge His authority.” → Questions of authority comes up all the time. You find it in the Workplace, “What makes you qualified to work here?” “Why should we hire you”?  You find it in Government. “Who are you to say what I can do with my body?” “Who are you to determine gun control?” You find it in schools. “Did you graduate, Do you have a degree.” You find in the family. A teenager says to her parents, “You have no right to tell me what to do”?  You even find it in the Church. “What seminary school did attend”?  “What bible translation do you use.” “What gifts of ministry to you possess.? The problem in our culture is that we distrust authority. Partly because we’re individualistic, freedom loving people, and partly because we learned the hard way having been lied to and burned by politicians, business leaders, priest, pastors, educators, etc. As a result we become suspicious of anyone who claims to have authority. As a believer you can’t say God has no authority of what I do in my private life. If you do, your wrong. Because God does have authority, not only in what you do in the privacy of your own bedroom, but in every other corner of your life as well. Not only does Jesus have the right to tell you what to do. But He also has the right to tell you how to feel. And the attitudes you should have towards other people. Nothing in our life’s should be off-limits to Jesus. You can’t say Jesus I’ll submit to some things, but not other things. Jesus wants us to submit to Him with everything. True submission is giving Jesus every aspect of who we are—our decisions, our relationships, our attitudes, and even our most private moments. Is there something you need to submit to Jesus? Is there something you’re holding back from Jesus? Is there something you need to switch from pretending to obedience? Is there something you’re putting on a front about, whatever it might be? Maybe you’re pretending to love God’s Word, and yet you’re not obeying or living out what it calls you to do. Maybe you say “I love the church”, yet fail to to followship with other believers or serve in ministry . Maybe you say you’re holy, yet your holding onto to some secret sin in your life. When we reserve and hold on to certain areas of control, we resist God’s transformative power and miss out on the fullness of life He offers. Only when we surrender wholly, trusting that His wisdom and love always lead us toward growth, healing, and genuine freedom. Only when we lay everything before Him—without reservation—can we fully experience the peace that comes from living under His gracious authority.

“Teaches how it’s not Jesus who must validate & prove Himself to us, but it is we who must adjust and conform to Him!” → Will you pray Lord let us never squeeze You into our own selfish agendas or manipulate you to fit our expectations…….(To be Continued)

“Even today, as believers we have no right to say “Lord why did you allow this in my life?”  Or “Lord Why are you not doing this or that in the world?” Instead we need to recognize that it is us who are in the dark. That God’s wisdom and authority far surpass our own limited understanding.” ⇒  Questioning Jesus’ authority  can also be seen in the form of internal doubt or resistance in modern times. We may question Jesus’ authority if we believe His teachings are outdated or do not fit our modern moral framework. For example, in areas like human rights and social justice. The greatest argument people have in questioning God’s authority is the evil they see in the world. Or the hurts, letdowns, and abuse they’ve experienced from others, questing where was God. Because of these feelings, many of are cautious when it comes to divine authority, causing them to hesitate and resist. We tend to see God through the lens of our past pain or disappointment. That makes trusting God’s authority challenging. In our own times, authority is often met with skepticism and individualism. This can manifest as a reluctance to submit to spiritual authority or to accept beliefs that are not based on individual experience. When we find ourselves questioning or struggling to make sense of what God allows, the challenge is not to demand explanations, but to submit our hearts in faith to Him, knowing that He is always working with purpose, love, and righteousness. True discipleship means letting go of the need to control or comprehend every detail, and choosing instead to follow and obey, confident that God’s plans are ultimately for our good and His glory.

“This is not saying we can’t question God when its done with a sincere and humble heart. But when questions come from a rebellious and prideful heart that seeks to challenge God’s wisdom and authority, then it is wrong.” ⇒  While honest questions are welcomed and can lead to deeper understanding and faith. Approaching God with an attitude that demands justification or validation on our terms reflects a lack of humility and trust. Questioning authority is not bad. It is actually a good! We should want to know the authority behind truth assertions. This is especially true in the spiritual realm. People make wild statements about the meaning of life, the character of God, or the will of God and we tend to take it as true. We are right to ask, “Where do you find this in the Bible?” In other words, we want to know the basis of their statements. Are they quoting God’s word or the word of men . . . it makes a difference. We need to ask this question of everyone. Even as Pastors we need to safeguard the church against heresy. In order that untruth does not work its way into the church. It’s part of our job to question people who want to share, that what their teaching theologically and doctrinally sound.

Additional Notes and Applications

Demonstrates how those who do not want Christ to reign over them will call into question His divine authority and credentials.

Warns against thinking we know better than God in how to run our own lives, only to end up paying the price later on.

Warns against thinking we can interrogate the Lord Jesus. We don’t corner Him, He corners us. His Word interrogates us.

Calls for acknowledging God’s sovereignty and wisdom, rather than allowing pride or a sense of entitlement to cloud our perspective.

Calls for not allowing our lack of education and credentials keeps us from teaching and sharing the Gospel.

A similar example of the kind of predicament the religious leaders put to Jesus would be if someone were to ask “Have you stopped beating your wife yet?”  If you answered “no” you would be admitting guilt, if you answered “yes”, you confessed that you had at one time. Either way you respond your caught in your own answer.

DANGERS OF REJECTING GOD’S AUTHORITY

• Leads to eternal consequences, divine judgment, separation from God.

• Leads to spiritual decline and moral decay.

• Leads to losing out on God’s love, wisdom, and guidance.

• Leads to to depravity and wrongful lusts in getting what we ask for

• Leads to unnecessary suffering

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