THE “WHITE” SHEEP OF THE FAMILY
Matthew 1:1-17
S: Salvation
Th: The Need of Salvation
Pr: We need grace, just like Jesus’ family.
?: Why?
KW: Illustrations
TS: We will find in Matthew 1:1-17 Five Illustrations that
demonstrate the same need of grace in our lives.
The _____ Illustration that demonstrates our need of grace is...
I. Jacob the Liar
II. Judah the Fornicator
III. Rahab the Prostitute
IV. David the Murderer
V. Josiah the Ignorant
GBC of S 12/18/94 AM (2x)
RMBC 12/7/97 AM
New Mt. Ararat Temple of Prayer 29 Dec 02 AM
INTRODUCTION:
1) What do you know about your family tree?
I have taken time in my past to discover my lineage.
And I have some really good parts.
I have a great-grandfather on my mother’s side, who was a Baptist
pastor in western N.Y. during the late 1800’s to the early 1900’s.
In fact, I have many of his sermons written in his own handwriting
and some of his books on my shelves in my office.
In addition, that same lineage can be traced back to the Puritans on
the Mayflower.
That’s all really neat.
But my dad’s side of the family, though, is a much different story.
I have some scoundrels in mine.
And the spiritual heritage, well, let’s just say it is quite lacking.
We don’t know a lot about the Decker side.
My great-grandfather, Pier Decker, was divorced from my great-
grandmother in a day that it was uncommon and looked down
on.
So we know very little, because he was an outcast and no one would
talk about him.
We are fairly sure that he was murdered because he got mixed up
with the Rochester mafia.
I also have a great-great-grandmother that had an only child out of
wedlock, and because of the stigma of that, never married, and
raised my great-grandmother alone, and away and a part from the
rest of the family.
It wasn’t until three generations later that anyone was willing to
talk about it.
2. Do you know what my genealogy tells me?
It tells me who I am...
Where I have come from...
What I might be or repeat...
Personally, for me, my genealogy is a story of grace!
Why?
Because, God has reached down to me, not on my merits, not by
anything I have done, and certainly not because of my lineage.
But He has saved me from living the life of many of the scoundrels
in my family.
I am like them.
And yet not...
Why?
God’s grace, and His grace alone.
TRANSITION:
1. The interesting thing about this is that Jesus’ genealogy is also a story of grace.
Jesus’ family tree is a story of grace.
When we look down the list of Jesus’ family tree, we see a lot of
scoundrels.
These were people that needed grace and experienced it.
You have heard the phrase "the black sheep of the family."
"Oh, he’s the black sheep of the family."
The reason could be a variety of things that someone gets referred
that way.
Typically, it means someone went a different way than the rest of
the family, whether for good or ill.
But most of the time, it means for ill.
2. You know what?
There were plenty of “black” sheep in Jesus’ family tree.
The fact was is that they all were.
And each one of them needed grace.
3. What is grace?
Grace is a gift.
It is receiving favor from God even though it is not deserved.
That’s what it is all about.
The reception of what is not deserved.
4. Many of them experienced this grace through the "white" sheep of the family.
Our first verse tells us that this is "a record of the genealogy of
Jesus Christ..."
Jesus...
We avoid using the name Jesus in terms of naming our children.
But it was an ordinary, common name.
In the Hebrew, it is pronounced, “Y’shua," or Joshua.
The name means "the Lord saves" or "the Lord is our salvation."
Jesus Christ...
Christ is the Greek equivalent of messiah.
The messiah was to be of the lineage of David, and would be a great
king.
He was the great hope of Israel.
Why?
Because He would save them.
(pause)
5. We need grace, just like Jesus’ family.
Each one of us that are sitting here.
We need grace.
Everyone one of us...for the testimony of Scripture is that
no one is good...none of us can be good enough to earn God’s favor.
You see, Jesus’ coming was not for Jews alone.
It was for all of us.
Look carefully at Jesus’ family tree.
It was not a pure Jewish heritage.
It had a Canaanite, a pagan from Jericho, one from Moab, and a
Hittite.
I think that this shows that Jesus came for all of us, so that we
might know God’s grace.
Therefore...
6. We will find in Matthew 1:1-17 Five Illustrations that demonstrate the same need of grace in our lives.
Matthew does have a specific purpose for this genealogy.
It is to establish Jesus’ rightful claim as king.
But we will also see in the text that he writes about grace as well.
7. (read text)
1) A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham: 2) Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3) Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, 4) Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5) Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, 6) and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife, 7) Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa, 8) Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram, Jehoram the father of Uzziah, 9) Uzziah the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10) Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah, 11) and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon. 12) After the exile to Babylon: Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, 13) Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, Abiud the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, 14) Azor the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Akim, Akim the father of Eliud, 15) Eliud the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, 16) and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. 17) Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ.
OUR STUDY:
I. The First Illustration that demonstrates our need of grace is JACOB THE LIAR (Genesis 27).
(Note Jacob’s place in the text)
1. Let’s review his story...
Jacob and Esau were twins.
Esau was the eldest, and therefore, it was his right to receive the
birthright and the blessing.
Esau had foolishly traded away the birthright to his twin brother,
Jacob.
But he still had the blessing.
As their father, Isaac, laid dying, Esau prepared to receive the
blessing, but with the help of his mother, Jacob disguised himself
as Esau and received the blessing in Esau’s place.
You know what...
2. Jacob was a liar!
He made himself appear to be Esau and lied to Isaac, who was blind,
feeble, and dying.
He has been nicknamed "the Deceiver" ever since.
3. How about you?
Do you always tell the truth?
Have you ever lied?
Have you ever shaded the truth a bit, to get what you wanted or to
make yourself look better?
You see, if you have, you are the same type of person that Jacob
was.
You are in the same boat.
But know this...
4. Jesus came for all the liars in the world so that they might know God.
If you are a liar, rejoice.
Because you can know God.
Jacob was later confronted by God, placed his faith in God, and
became a man of God.
If you are one like Jacob, there is hope for you.
You can know God’s grace.
II. The Second Illustration that demonstrates our need of grace is JUDAH THE FORNICATOR (Genesis 38).
(Find Judah in the text)
1. Let’s review his story...
Judah was a son of Jacob.
Judah’s first son had a wife named Tamar.
But this son died, and according to the custom, Tamar became the
wife of the second son, but he also died.
Although, Tamar should have then gone to the third son, Judah
reneged because he thought the third son would die.
So Tamar went back to live with her own family, in shame, because
she did not bring forth an heir for Judah’s first son.
When Tamar learned that Judah was coming her way one day, she
dressed up as a prostitute and convinced him to have a sexual
relationship with her.
He consented and she became pregnant.
2. Judah was a fornicator.
Fornication, defined, is a sexual relationship between two people
who are not married.
Judah entered into a relationship he had no business entering into.
Though he thought Tamar was just a prostitute, it turned out to be
his daughter-in-law.
Some would call that close to incest.
3. How about you?
Are you a fornicator?
Are you or have you participated in a relationship that is outside the
marriage relationship?
No, not me...
Do you ever think about it?
Have you ever lusted in your heart for someone?
Jesus said that was just as bad!
4. Jesus came for all those who would abuse his creation of sexuality so that they might know God.
If you have, you can still rejoice.
Because you can know God.
Judah would find this son by Tamar, Perez, would carry the kingly
line, leading to the Messiah.
Judah would find God at work in the midst of his sin.
If you are one like Judah, there is hope for you.
You can know God’s grace.
III. The Third Illustration that demonstrates our need of grace is RAHAB THE PROSTITUTE (Joshua 2, 6:22-25).
(Find Rahab in the text)
1. Let’s review her story...
Rahab lived in the fortified city of Jericho.
When the Israelites sent out spies to survey the land they would
overtake, they secretly entered into the city.
When their presence was discovered, Rahab, who was known
prostitute, knowingly his the spies and lied to the city’s officials
of their whereabouts.
2. But Rahab was a prostitute.
She was a person that would sell the use of her body, for the sexual
pleasure of others.
This is outside of God’s design.
3. How about you?
Pastor Paul, I don’t do anything like that, and I say, good.
But, do you sell the integrity of your person?
Are you up for sale?
Will you compromise your convictions to get ahead?
4. Jesus came for all those who would compromise who they were so that they might know God.
If you have compromised the integrity of your person, you can still
rejoice.
Because you can know God.
Rahab may have been a prostitute, but she acted in faith, believing
in God.
She, too, ended up in this kingly line, that would lead to David.
If you are one like Rahab, there is hope for you.
You can know God’s grace.
IV. The Fourth Illustration that demonstrates our need of grace is DAVID THE MURDERER (II Samuel 11).
(Find David in the text)
1. Let’s review his story...
When David was firmly established as king, and according to
Scripture, he was supposed to be at war, he saw a beautiful
woman bathing and lusted after her.
Her name was Bathsheeba.
She was married to a loyal soldier named Uriah.
Bathsheeba became pregnant by David.
David, anxious to be freed from such an obvious sin on his part,
invited Uriah home from the battlefront.
But out of respect for his king and soldiers, he did not participate
as David had hoped.
2. David was a murderer.
To cover up his own sin, he sent Uriah to the frontlines, where he
was killed in battle.
3. How about you?
Are you a killer?
Perhaps, not literally, but Jesus said that if you hate someone, you
have murdered them in your heart, and that is just as bad.
4. Jesus came for all those who have hate in their heart so that they might know God.
If you have, you can still rejoice.
Because you can know God.
David may have been a murderer, but he found forgiveness when he
confessed his sin.
And who ended up in this kingly line, but another son of the union of
David and Bathsheeba.
If you are one like David, there is hope for you.
You can know God’s grace.
V. The Fifth Illustration that demonstrates our need of grace is JOSIAH THE IGNORANT (II Kings 22).
(Find Josiah in the text)
1. Let’s review his story...
Josiah became the king of Judah when he was 8 years old.
When he was 26 years old, a copy of the law was found in the
temple.
So Josiah asked for it to be read, and when it was, he was overcome
with grief, because he realized that these words of God had not
been followed by his nation.
2. Josiah was ignorant.
You may think its not so bad being ignorant, because it is not your
fault.
But note what Josiah thought.
Josiah thought it was a sin.
It is not a sin of commission, of doing something.
It is the sin of omission.
You see, ignorance is the lack of seeking truth.
ILL Conversation with Cheryl
Many years ago, I was driving my cousin to Duquesne University, as
I was on my way to visit Dondra.
She wanted to know why I was going into the ministry.
I told her it was because I knew there was a God, He existed, and
that was the most important fact in the whole universe.
Nothing is more important than that.
And if that is the most important, then it is most worth my time
and pursuit.
Do you know what the promise of Scripture is?
If we seek God, Scripture promises, we will find Him!
3. How about you?
Are you ignorant?
Are you ignoring the most important fact of the universe that there
is a God who has made the move to save you from yourself, and yet
you do nothing...
He sent Himself, as a baby, so that wise men would seek Him.
4. Jesus came for all those who would ignore Him, so that they might know God.
If you have, you can still rejoice.
Because you can know God.
Josiah may have been ignorant, but he found forgiveness and
blessing when he confessed his sin.
If you are one like Josiah, there is hope for you.
You can know God’s grace.
APPLICATION:
1. What does the family tree tell us?
God unveils Himself to us through this family tree.
We see what kind of God He is.
It also exposes the need of grace.
It exposes the need of a messiah, an anointed one, a Christ who
would show our desperation in sin and save us from it.
Jesus understood His mission.
He said in Mat. 9:13:
"For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
2. What strikes me is the similarity of the family tree to my own, full of scoundrels.
Jesus’ family tree was full of some pretty heavy duty sinners.
But I think it points us to this important fact:
We are all black sheep.
We are all scoundrels.
We all need grace.
The question is, will you continue to live as a "black" sheep?
3. There is a white sheep in the family that was able to make the difference.
For He was perfect.
And the Christmas story tells us the beginning of His earthly
ministry.
Jesus, fully God and fully man, came to die, to pay the penalty of
our sin, so that we might know life, that we might know grace, that
we might know God.
ILL
That one great-great-grandmother of mine.
My dad knew her and he believes she was a believer.
In the shame of her own sin, she found grace.
She had a passion, a faith, a love for God that was my dad’s earliest
influence for spiritual things.
She planted the first seed...that would blossom in successive
generations.
This is the example of the family tree.
When repentant people seek and find God, He takes their soiled
lives, cleans them, and makes them new, so that they can do great
things for Him.
You can know grace, because you can know Jesus.
COMMUNION:
We come to this table because we can know grace.
Those of us that know Jesus are invited to share in the elements of
the table.
If you do not know Jesus, that is, you have not received Him as your
Savior and Lord, just let the elements pass by.
Please wait until the time comes when you do have a personal
relationship with Him.
We call this communion.
Communion is an outward sign of our fellowship.
We come together to demonstrate that which we share in common.
We share these things in common.
First, we need grace (just like Jesus’ family).
We cannot obtain righteousness on our own.
We need someone else to do it for us.
Second, we have received the gift of grace.
Ephesians 2:8-9 says:
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.
We have accepted our inability and received the gift.
Third, we practice “communion” because we are to remember the
death of the Lord Jesus.
We take the bread to remind us that it was by the body of our
Savior that our salvation came.
He died in our place.
He became our substitute.
We take the cup to remind us that it was by the blood of our
Savior that our salvation came.
He died for our sins.
He became our sacrifice.
Romans 3:22-26 explains this:
This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
We need grace.
Let us take a moment and thank Him for giving us the very thing we
needed most.
(Prayer)
Men, come and serve us. And as they do, let us worship in prayer
and meditation.
The apostle Paul writes, "The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me."
Let’s partake together.
(Prayer)
Again, the apostle Paul writes, "In the same way, after supper he took the cup saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me."
Let’s partake together.
BENEDICTION:
It is my hope for you this day that you will turn your eyes and know the joy of the One who...
...prophecy spoke of
...angels announced
...shepherds worshipped
...dying prophets proclaimed, and
...wise men sought.
And might each one of us know the true meaning of the grace of Immanuel:
God with us.
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. Amen.
