Tag: Matthew 8

The Messiah’s Followers

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This past weekend at Eastbrook, my friend, Will Branch, continued our series entitled “The Messiah’s Mission,” by looking at Matthew 9:9-17. This includes Jesus’ calling of Matthew from his tax booth, as well as teaching about Jesus as the bridegroom and new wine skins.

You can find the message video and outline below. You can also view the entire series here, as well as the devotional that accompanies the series here. Join us for weekend worship in-person or remotely via Eastbrook at Home.

The Messiah’s Mission:

“As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.” Matt 9:9

Response to Jesus’ Call

  • Matthew: Obedience
  • Tax Collectors and Sinners: Fellowship The Pharisees: Contempt
  • John’s Disciples: Questions
  • The Lesson: Mercy not Sacrifice

Jesus’ Call and Response

  • To the sick: Eat and be well
  • To the Pharisees: Go and Learn
  • To John’s Disciples: Why fast? I’m here.
  • The Lesson: The old way doesn’t work with the new.

Lessons to be Learned

  • The doctor is in: Are you sick?
  • The sacrifice has been made: Are you merciful?
  • The Bridegroom is gone: Are you mourning?
  • The old is gone: Are you new?

The Messiah’s Authority

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This past weekend at Eastbrook, we continued our new series entitled “The Messiah’s Mission,” based in Matthew 8-12. This weekend I explored Matthew 8:23-9:8, where Matthew groups three miracles of Jesus around the theme of His authority. We see Jesus’ authority over nature, demonic spirits, and sin and forgiveness.

The entire series of episodes leads us to the sharp and important question: who is Jesus?

You can find the message video and outline below. You can also view the entire series here, as well as the devotional that accompanies the series here. Join us for weekend worship in-person or remotely via Eastbrook at Home.

“When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man.” (Matthew 9:8)

Who is this? (8:27)

  • The basic question about Jesus
  • Our need to answer it for ourselves

Jesus: The One with Authority Over Nature (Matthew 8:23-27)

  • Miracle on the water
  • “Even the winds and the waves obey him!” (8:27)

Jesus: The One with Authority Over Demonic Spirits (Matthew 8:28-34)

  • Miracle on the far side of the lake in the Gentile lands
  • “They shouted, ‘Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?’” (8:29)

Jesus: The One with Authority to Forgive Sins (Matthew 9:1-8)

  • Miracle back home in Capernaum
  • “They were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man” (9:8)

Getting into Jesus’ Boat

  • Following Jesus into the boat (8:23)
  • Calling to Jesus amid the storms of life (8:24-25)
  • Encountering Jesus’ authority and power (8:26)
  • Growing with Jesus from little faith to greater faith (8:26-27)

Dig Deeper

Dig Deeper

This week dig deeper into Jesus’ authority and our response to Him in one or more of the following ways:

  • Consider memorizing Matthew 9:5-6 this week.
  • In order to reflect more deeply on them, select one or more of the episodes of Matthew 8:23-9:8 to sketch, ink, or paint. As you do that, prayerfully reflect on the power and authority of Jesus in general but also in your own life.
  • Watch “The Messiah” theme video from The Bible Project
  • In order to dig deeper into the calling of discipleship consider reading either Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s The Cost of Discipleship or Os Guinness’ The Call.

Eastbrook at Home – May 23, 2021

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Join us for worship with Eastbrook Church through Eastbrook at Home at 8, 9:30, and 11 AM.

As we continue our preaching series, “The Messiah’s Mission,” which focuses on Jesus’ moving outward on mission in word and deed after the Sermon on the Mount, I will explore Matthew 8:23-9:8. This is also Pentecost Sunday, when we remember and celebrate the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon God’s people.

This continues our extended journey through the Gospel of Matthew, which includes previous series “Family Tree,” “Power in Preparation,” and “Becoming Real.”

Join in with the Eastbrook 365 daily devotional for this series here.

We also continue in-person services at 8:00, 9:30, and 11:00 AM this weekend at the Eastbrook Campus, but you do need to RSVP ahead of time. Find out more info here.

Each Sunday at 8, 9:30, and 11 AM, you can participate with our weekly worship service at home with your small group, family, or friends. This service will then be available during the week until the next Sunday’s service starts. You can also access the service directly via Vimeo, the Eastbrook app, or Facebook.

If you are not signed up for our church emailing list, please sign up here. Also, please remember that during this time financial support for the church is critical as we continue minister within our congregation and reach out to our neighborhood, city, and the world at this challenging time. Please give online or send in your tithes and offerings to support the ministry of Eastbrook Church.

Leaving the Crowd to Follow Jesus

Matt Erickson1 Comment

“When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake.” Matthew 8:18

One of the recurring themes in the Gospel of Matthew is the distinction between the disciples and the crowd. The Sermon on the Mount occurs when Jesus sees the crowd, retreats from them to the hillside, and teaches His disciples there (Matthew 5:1-2). It is not that Jesus does not like the crowd. The crowd is important to Jesus. They are those who gather around for healing or to watch what Jesus is doing or to consider His teaching. But Jesus always invites people to move from the crowd to become disciples.

Disciples are those who have chosen to follow Jesus. They want to enter into the good life of God’s kingdom under the leadership and teaching of Jesus as their rabbi and teacher. Disciples are those who draw away from the crowd. They do not settle for simply going with the flow of those around them or for being a fan of Jesus.

Discipleship demands a decision to leave the crowd and draw close to Jesus. Disciples must make a choice to follow Jesus, not just watch from a distance. Disciples order their lives around Jesus and prioritize listening to and learning from Him.

Sometimes when we talk about following Jesus, we become confused by language that is used within social media. If you’re on Twitter or Snapchat or Tik Tok or Instagram or Facebook or any other social media you may have “followers” or something like that. Followers in the social media setting refers to people who want to read or see what you’re talking about or perhaps just want to add you to their follower list so that you will follow them back. While they may pay attention to what you say on your feed or story, most of the time the threshold to become a follower is pretty low. Click a button and become a follower.

But when Jesus talks about people following Him, He isn’t looking for more followers that are merely fans. Instead, Jesus invites us to draw away from the crowd in order to draw near to Him. The threshold is low for becoming a fan, but the threshold is high for becoming Jesus’ follower. Jesus wants us to forsake everything for Him. He wants us to learn what it means to be truly human by reordering our entire existence around Him and His teaching.

The Messiah’s Call

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This past weekend at Eastbrook, we continued our new series entitled “The Messiah’s Mission,” based in Matthew 8-12. This weekend I explored Matthew 8:18-22, where Jesus encounters two would-be disciples and rebuffs their apparent commitment to Him. These two case studies reveal a lot about what discipleship is all about. In some ways this message echoes an earlier message, “Real Response,” from the end of our series, “Becoming Real,” on the Sermon on the Mount.

You can find the message video and outline below. You can also view the entire series here, as well as the devotional that accompanies the series here. Join us for weekend worship in-person or remotely via Eastbrook at Home.

“But Jesus told him, ‘Follow me.’” (Matthew 8:22)

Discipleship Practice: Drawing Away with Jesus (8:18)

  • The distinction between disciples and the crowd
  • Disciples draw away from the crowd
  • Disciples draw close to Jesus

Discipleship Case Study #1: Reorienting Stability (8:19-20)

  • What is stability?
  • Where do we find it?
  • Reorienting stability in Jesus

Discipleship Case Study #2: Reorienting Societal Norms (Matthew 8:21-22)

  • What is normal?
  • Who gets to define it?
  • Reorienting societal norms in Jesus

Entering the Disciple Life

  • Hearing Jesus’ call again: reading Scripture
  • Choosing Jesus: Baptism
  • Following Jesus: Daily Obedience

Dig Deeper

This week dig deeper into Jesus’ teaching on our response to Him in one or more of the following ways:

  • Depending on which one captures you more, consider memorizing Matthew 8:19-20 or 8:21-22 this week.
  • Set aside some time this week to pray about this week’s passage. Ask the Lord if there is anything that stands in the way of your absolute following of Him? Journal about this or talk with a friend and pray about it.
  • Read several passages where Jesus calls disciples. As you do, identify different aspects of Jesus’ call and people’s response (or lack of response): Matthew 4:18-22; Luke 5:1-11; John 1:35-51; Matthew 8:18-22; Mark 5:1-20; Matthew 9:9-13; Mark 10:17-27; Luke 14:25-35.
  • In order to dig deeper into the calling of discipleship consider reading either Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s The Cost of Discipleship or Os Guinness’ The Call.