THE VIOLENT TAKE IT BY FORCE
Matt 11:12
INTRO:
1. In this chptr Jn the Baptist’s who is in prison sends a few of his disciples to Jesus to find out whether or not he was the Messiah, the Christ.
a.) Jesus is approached by John's disciples & asked if He was "the one who would come"
1. & Jesus sends them back with an answer, - the blind see, lame walk, lepers are cleansed, deaf hear, dead are raised & the poor have gospel preached to them.
2. After hearing this, the disciples return to tell John.
b.) Now Jesus uses this opportunity to ask the multitudes what they thought about Jn Baptist & why they went out to see him.
1. He also tells the multitudes of John's credibility.
2. He was more than just a prophet. He was the one preparing the for the Christ !
c.) Then in vrse 12 Jesus says something powerful concerning the power of the gospel & how the people received it.
Matt 11:12 "And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. (NKJ)
1. Let's get some understanding & learn from this vrse of scripture.
I. THE KINGDOM.
1. Jesus began to tell the multitudes about what He saw in the power of Jn the Baptist's ministry & preaching.
a.) Jesus starts out by saying, "& from the days of Jn.." or "from the days when Jn began to preach until now."
1. John the Baptist had been preaching for over a year now. (Repentance)
2. & in that year some incredible things had happened.
b.) Jesus is telling the multitudes about the attitude of the great crowds that came to hear John preach.
1. First, There were great crowds that came to hear what he had to say.
2. Multitudes went out to hear his message.
3. This is describing thousands coming to hear him preach.
Matt 3:5 People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan.
Mark 1:5-6 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptised by him in the Jordan River. John wore clothing made of camel's hair, with a leather belt round his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. (NIV)
-That's a lot of people !!!!!
-I'm sure there were those that came out to see this wild looking man who wore a camel skin suit & ate grasshoppers & wild honey for lunch.
-But the majority of the people came to hear him preach.
2. The Kingdom Suffers Violence.
a.) Jesus goes on to tell the multitudes, "& from the days of John the Baptist until now the Kingdom of God suffers violence.."
1. There are 2 opinions here:
{1} One opinion is that since John began to preach the “Kingdom is at hand,” that the message of the kingdom & those that received it were violently treated.
{2.} Another opinion is that of the description of those desiring all that God & heaven has for them.
2. Both are sound in their teaching, but one of these understandings is something you don't hear a lot about.
Luke 16:16 "The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it. (NIV)
b.) In our text Jesus is telling us about the hearts & attitudes of those that heard Jn's preaching.
1. Since Jn began to preach "the kingdom of God" the response had been a violent one by those who were opposed to it, & by those who were enthusiastic about his preaching.
2. Those who were touch by his message violently, enthusiastically seized it !
3. The message was so powerful that it stirred the hearts that heard it & they it took hold of it & wouldn’t let it go.
4. Their response to the message was so passionate, it's compared to violence.
c.) So since the "Kingdom of heaven" or "the gospel" has been preached there's been this rush to it.
1. People have been so passionate about it, they've come pressing to seize the blessing, as if they would take it by violence.
2. Make no mistake there's no other message like the message of the kingdom, the gospel !
3. No other message even compares to the gospel.
The gospel message is so exciting, that you can’t help but get excited about it !!
It’s message of love, hope, life, re-newel. It’s good news mate !!
The good news of the kingdom of God & the obtaining of salvation thru Jesus !
It’ about freedom, being liberated, emancipated, loosen, released, redeemed, rescued, delivered, unchained, unfettered, unshackled, acquitted & cleared !!!
I was lost but now I’m found ! was blind but now I see !!
In my sin I was headed for a real hell, but Jesus changed the direction I was going in !
I been brought from death to life !!!
But it amazes me how one of the most exciting messages ever known to man can be presented as one of the most boring messages ever heard on Sundays !
It amazes me how a preachers can get behind a pulpit & preach one of the most dynamic messages ever known w/ out any enthusiasm, zeal, power, excitement ! (dead)
No motivation, inspiration, jubilation, exaltation, stimulation or revelation !
-Yes, the gospel saves, but it also moves you, it motivates, stimulates, instigates you, inspires, incites, inflames, enlivens, impassions, encourages, arouses & stirs you!
Peter = on day of Pentecost !
- & from that day men who have been touched & saved thru the gospel have been preaching it with power !
The Apostle Paul said, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes !!!!”
* In your life time you're going to hear a lot of good news but not like the good news of the gospel of Jesus who died & rose again for our sins!
3. Force.
a.) Jesus says, "& the violent take it by force."
1. Here's an indirect picture of how cities were taken by force.
2. Those that would seize (besiege) a city would press upon the people with violence & ultimately bring down or demolish the city walls.
b.) Jesus was saying that people with this violence or passion for their message had pressed around Himself & John since they began to preach.
1. Multitudes had thronged around Him & John to hear this powerful, life changing, message !
c.) & Jesus gives us a picture of how receptive & passionate these people were about John's preaching & also it’s a picture of how it affected them.
II. RECAPTURE THE PASSION.
1. After reading & studying this vrse I thought about this.
a.) Over the years we can lose that violent passion for the message of the gospel & God's word.
1. For whatever reasons, our relationship or connection with the gospel & God's word is not so tight as it use to be.
2. Where once you might of had a passion in hearing the message & allowing it to cause a change in your life.
3. Also you had a passion in sharing it !
b.) Maybe at one time you were passionate, earnest about the message, the word of God (reception) but you lost it !
1. I think we need to recapture the passion for God's word or the message of the gospel (the preaching).
2. I think we need to cultivate a hunger for the message, the good news that has the power to transform lives !!I
-Today the message of the gospel can radically change your life !!!!
- Today, you can have an entire new life in Christ !
- The gospel message can set you free from the very things that try to separate you from God !!
- Jesus wants to set you free from: drug & sexual Addictions = substance abuse = spousal abuse = all other forms of abuses !
III. Jesus Saves !
1. The gospel tells us that Jesus saves, but Jesus not only saves your life & soul,
a.) He can save a failing marriage that’s headed for the divorce courts = put the fire & romance back in that marriage !!
-He can save your kids = they don’t have to wind up in the streets !!
- He can restore broken family relationships !
- He can heal broken hearts that have been wounded by others.
b.) We need to be like Jeremiah !
- Jeremiah tried to remove himself from God Word
- He said God you tricked me, coerced me into being a prophet & I fell for it.
- & now because of your message I’m a laughingstock,
- & preach nothing but gloom & doom, I don’t want to preach you message, I don’t want to mention your name anymore !!!
- But I can’t help it, I just got to preach the message because this message that’s in my heart is like fire shut up in my bones !!!!
Jeremiah = Fire shut up in my bones
RECAPTURE THE PASSION.
