Tag: Scandalous Jesus

Lavish Your Love on Jesus

Matt Erickson1 Comment

Pastor Femi Ibitoye, Eastbrook’s Pastor of Worship and Prayer, concluded our Lenten preaching series, “Scandalous Jesus,” this past weekend on Palm Sunday. Femi preached out of Matthew 26:1-16, giving specific attention to the episode where a woman comes and anoints Jesus in the home of Simon the Leper.

This message is from the ninth part of our longer journey through the Gospel of Matthew, which includes “Family Tree,” “Power in Preparation,” “Becoming Real,” “The Messiah’s Mission,” “Stories of the Kingdom,” “Who Do You Say I Am?“, “‘Tis the Reason,” and “Jesus Said What?!“

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

“When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial.  Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” (Matthew 26:12-13)

The Chief Priest and Elders of the people plotted to kill Jesus instead of lavishing their love on him (26:3-5)

       They schemed to kill Jesus instead of loving him (26:3)

       They plotted to kill in secret instead of loving him (26:4)

       They feared the people instead of fearing God. (They loved appearances, and praise of the

       People, instead of the praise from God. (26:5)

       They willingly and knowing plotted to kill Jesus in secret breaking the command of God. “You shall not kill” (Matthew 26:5; Exodus 20:13, Deuteronomy 27:24-25)

Judas loved money Instead of loving Jesus

       Plotted with the Chief Priests to kill an innocent person with bribery (26:14-16)

       Judas loved money more than loving Jesus (26:14-16)

       Judas and the other disciples have forgotten the greatest commandment. 

       “Love God” (Matthew 26:7-9, 22:26-40)

A woman (likely Mary, sister of Lazarus, lavished her love on Jesus (26:6-11)

       She loved by pouring expensive perfume on Jesus

       She lavished her love on Jesus publicly

       She loved Jesus by listening and believing in him

       Jesus honored and blessed her in return.  You cannot out give Jesus.

Why lavish our love on Jesus

       Because he first lavished his love on us (1 john 4:19, 4:9-10)

       Because it is the greatest commandment (Matthew 22:36-38)

       Because Jesus is worthy of our love and worship (Revelation 5: 11-14)

What can we do to lavish our love on Jesus?

      Worship him

      Obey him

      Love people

      Give

Lavish your love on Jesus publicly. At church, at work, on social media.  Love Jesus instead of money, power or status.   

Dig Deeper

This week dig deeper in one or more of the following ways:

  • Memorize Matthew 26:11-12.
  • Take some time to pray through Matthew 26:1-16, letting God reveal any areas where you have gotten off-track in your life with God. Confess and repent of those wrong ways in prayer. What will you do to lavish your love on Jesus today? Take a stand and act.
  • Prepare for Holy Week by reading Matthew chapters 26, 27 and 28.

Eastbrook at Home – April 10, 2022

Matt EricksonLeave a comment
Eastbrook-At-Home-Series-GFX_16x9-Title

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

This weekend we celebrate Palm Sunday and the beginning of Holy Week. We also will continue our Lenten series, “Scandalous Jesus,” which traces Jesus’ journey in Jerusalem from His triumphal entry to His crucifixion.

Here is a prayer for the sixth Sunday of Lent, which is Palm Sunday, from The Book of Common Prayer:

Almighty and everlasting God, in your tender love for us you sent your Son our Savior Jesus Christ to take upon himself our nature, and to suffer death upon the Cross, giving us the example of his great humility: Mercifully grant that we may walk in the way of his suffering, and come to share in his resurrection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

If you are able to do so, let me encourage you to join us for in-person services at 8:00, 9:30, and 11:00 AM this weekend at the Eastbrook Campus.

If you are new to Eastbrook, we want to welcome you to worship and would ask you to text EBCnew to 94000 as a first step into community here at Eastbrook.

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.

The Woes of the Religiously Misguided

Matt EricksonLeave a comment

Continuing our Lenten preaching series, “Scandalous Jesus,” this past weekend at Eastbrook we traveled through Matthew 23. In this chapter-long discourse, Jesus sharply names casts deep shadows over the ways the teachers of the law and Pharisees have lost their way with God. This is no simple passage, however, but calls each of us to a response with Jesus ourselves.

This message is from the ninth part of our longer journey through the Gospel of Matthew, which includes “Family Tree,” “Power in Preparation,” “Becoming Real,” “The Messiah’s Mission,” “Stories of the Kingdom,” “Who Do You Say I Am?“, “‘Tis the Reason,” and “Jesus Said What?!“

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

“So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.” (Matthew 23:3)

Three Critiques of Teachers of the Law and the Pharisees (23:1-6)

They are inconsistent (23:3)

They burden people (23:4)

They are concerned with appearances and reputation (23:5-6)

A Contrast for Jesus’ Disciples (23:8-12)

Shunning titles and praise from people (23:8-10)

Following Jesus’ humble path (23:11-12)

Seven Woes on the Teachers of the Law and the Pharisees (23:13-36)

1. They keep people out of God’s kingdom (23:13)

2. They make converts who become as misguided as them (23:15)

3. They make oaths that show their blindness about spiritual matters (23:16-22)

4. They practice detailed obedience while disobeying in important matters (23:23-24)

5. They look clean on the outside but are polluted in their inner lives (23:25-26)

6. They look righteous on the outside but are hypocrites on the inside (23:27-28)

7. They stand violently against God’s purposes and messengers (23:29-36)

A Lament from Jesus over Jerusalem (23:37-39)

Jesus’ desire to gather for healing (23:37)

The reality of impending destruction (23:38-39)

Dig Deeper

This week dig deeper in one or more of the following ways:

  • Memorize Matthew 23:11-12.
  • Take some time to pray through Matthew 23, letting God reveal any areas where you have gotten off-track in your life with God. Confess and repent of those wrong ways in prayer. If there is someone you need to make things right with, prayerfully reach out to them.
  • Prepare for Holy Week by reading Matthew 26 and 27.

Eastbrook at Home – April 3, 2022

Matt EricksonLeave a comment
Eastbrook-At-Home-Series-GFX_16x9-Title

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

This weekend we continue our Lenten series, “Scandalous Jesus,” which traces Jesus’ journey in Jerusalem from His triumphal entry to His crucifixion.

Here is a prayer for the fifth Sunday of Lent from The Book of Common Prayer:

Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of this world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.

If you are able to do so, let me encourage you to join us for in-person services at 8:00, 9:30, and 11:00 AM this weekend at the Eastbrook Campus.

If you are new to Eastbrook, we want to welcome you to worship and would ask you to text EBCnew to 94000 as a first step into community here at Eastbrook.

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.

Questioning Jesus

Matt EricksonLeave a comment

This past weekend at Eastbrook, as we continues our preaching series during Lent entitled “Scandalous Jesus,” we looked at the final two in a series of questions-answer exchanges Jesus has in Jerusalem. Found in Matthew 22:34-46, Jesus first responds to a question about the greatest commandment from a Pharisee (22:34-40) and then poses His own question from Psalm 110 about whose son the Messiah is (22:41-45).

These questions bring us to an encounter with the question of Jesus we all must answer: “Who do you say I am?”

This message is from the ninth part of our longer journey through the Gospel of Matthew, which includes “Family Tree,” “Power in Preparation,” “Becoming Real,” “The Messiah’s Mission,” “Stories of the Kingdom,” “Who Do You Say I Am?“, “‘Tis the Reason,” and “Jesus Said What?!“

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

“One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: ‘Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?’” (Matthew 22:35-36)

Questions and Jesus

The context of the questions: “the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words” (Matthew 22:15)

Question 1: Pharisees – “should we pay the Roman poll tax?” (22:16-22)

Question 2: Sadducees – “how does marriage work in the resurrection?” (22:23-33)

Question 3: Pharisees – “which is the greatest commandment?” (22:34-40)

Question 4: Jesus – “whose son is the Messiah?” (22:41-45)

The end of the questions: “from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions” (22:46)

Which is the Greatest Commandment? (22:34-40)

The nature of the question

  • This was a common question
  • Other answers given

Jesus’ response

  • The centrality of love (not just certain activities)
  • Drawn from the Torah (not elsewhere)
  • Summarizing two tables of the Decalogue (relationship to God and others)
  • The uniqueness of Jesus’ answer (no clear parallels)

Responding to Jesus’ teaching on the Greatest Commandment

Whose Son is the Messiah? (22:41-45)

The question Jesus brings

The context of Psalm 110 (echoes in the book of Hebrews)

The typical answer that Jesus sets aside

The redefining of the Messiah in Jesus

Responding to the identity of Jesus

Dig Deeper

This week dig deeper in one or more of the following ways:

  • Memorize Matthew 22:37-40
  • Dig deeper into this theme of love for God and love for others by reading 1 Corinthians 13 or 1 John (the entire book). What do these portions of Scripture tell you about God’s love and the calling to love others?
  • Read Psalm 110 or the epistle of Hebrews to more deeply understand how Jesus comes as the answer to all Israel’s messianic longings.
  • Consider reading Scot McKnight’s book The Jesus Creed for a deeper dive into Jesus’ distinctive teaching on the greatest commandment.