Everywhere That Jesus Went
Mt. 9
One of the benchmarks of a true disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ is whether or not he or she takes on His character. The Son of God was perfect in every way, and in this chapter I want us to consider the manner in which he conducted Himself as He performed His public ministry.
We have all heard a phrase like this: “Everywhere he (or she) goes, __________ is soon to follow.” More often than not, that blank if filled with the word “trouble”. Sometimes you may hear “something good” in that sentence. Well, I believe that in looking at the life of the Lord Jesus that we can say “marvelous things are soon to follow”! The Bible says in Acts 10:38 that the Lord Jesus was one “…who went about doing good…”. He ALWAYS was doing good wherever He went. What happened everywhere that Jesus went?
I. EVERYWHERE THAT JESUS WENT HE BROUGHT CHEER – V. 2
A. TO THE DOWNTRODDEN AND DESTITUTE
B. IN SPITE OF THE DOUBTERS – V. 3-6
II. EVERWHERE THAT JESUS WENT HE OFFERED THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS – V. 2
A. HE OFFERED THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS
1. TO FRIEND AND FOE ALIKE –
2. TO ALL WHO CAME IN CONTACT WITH HIM
3. SOME REJECTED LIKE THE PHARISEES HERE
4. BUT THANK GOD SOME WERE WILLING TO RECEIVE THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS!
B. WE CAN’T SAVE PEOPLE, BUT WE CAN TELL THEM THAT JESUS OFFERS THEM THE FORGIVENESS OF THEIR SINS
III. EVERYWHERE THAT JESUS WENT HE CHANGED LIVES
A. A MAN WITH A DISEASED BODY – V. 1-7
1. THINK NOT ONLY THAT THIS MAN’S LIFE WAS CHANGED, BUT ALSO THE LIVES OF HIS FAMILY MEMBERS
a. ABLE TO SUPPORT HIS FAMILY
b. ABLE TO GO TO WORSHIP
c. ABLE TO DO MANY THINGS HE COULD NEVER DO BEFORE!
B. A MAN WITH A DEPRAVED HEART – V. 9
1. MATTHEW WAS A TAX COLLECTOR – HATED BY THE JEWS - A TRAITOR – SOMEONE WHO ONLY CARED FOR MONEY
2. JESUS CHANGED HIS LIFE WITH TWO WORDS –“FOLLOW ME”
C. PEOPLE WHO WERE DOWN AND OUT – V. 10-13; 27-34
1. PUBLICANS AND SINNERS – HATED AND SHUNNED
IV. EVERYWHERE THAT JESUS WENT HE NEVER FAILED TO HAVE COMPASSION – V. 35-38
A. IT DIDN’T MATTER WHETHER IT WAS ONE OR A MULTITUDE
B. HE HAD COMPASSION ON SELF DESTRUCTIVE PEOPLE LIKE THE RICH YOUNG RULER
C. HE HAD COMPASSION ON THE THIEF ON THE CROSS
DEAR LORD, HELP ME THAT EVERYWHERE I GO, I WILL BRING CHEER, OFFER THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS THROUGH FAITH IN CHRIST, CHANGE LIVES, AND NEVER FAIL TO HAVE COMPASSION!
