Matthew 2024

We're going to have 2 readings tonight.

So the first reading, if you can turn in your Bible to exit this chapter 30, I'm gonna be reading versus 11 to 16, then the lord said to Moses. When you take a census of the Israelites to count them, each 1 must pay the lord a ransom for his life at the time he is counted. Then no plague will come on them when you number them. Each 1 who crosses over to those already counted is to give, a half shekel, according to the sanctuary circle, which weighs 20 gears. This half shekel is an offering to the lord.

All who cross over those 20 years old or more are to give an offering to the lord. The rich are not to give more than a half shekel. And the poor are not to give less when you make the offering to the lord to atone for your lives. Receive the atonement money from the is rights and use it for the service of the tent of meeting. It will be a memorial for the Israel Rights before the lord, making atonement for your lives.

The second reading is from Matthew's Gospel, so we're continuing our series in Matthew in chapter 17. And were going from 22 to the end of the chapter. Matthew 17. When they came together in galilee, he said to them, the son of man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him.

And on the third day, he will be raised to life, and the disciples were filled with grief. After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Companion, the collectors of the 2 Draakma temple attacks came to Peter and asked doesn't your teacher pay the temple tax? Yes, he does. He replied. When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak.

What do you think, Simon? He asked? From whom to the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes, from their own children or from others? From others, Peter answered. Then the children are exempt, Jesus said to him.

But so that we may not cause offense, Go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch. Open its mouth, and you will find a 4 drachma coin. Take it and give it to them. For my tax, and yours.

This is god's word to us, and Rory's gonna open it up to us now. Thanks, Tom. Let's pray as we begin. Father, we thank you, so much for all the things that you've been teaching us in your words. We we thank you for this amazing book of of Matthew, and we pray that now as we consider this passage, that you will teach us great things about who Jesus is, what he has come to do.

And how we should respond as a result. And so we pray these things in Jesus' name, amen. Well, good evening. For those who don't know me, I'm Rory. I should have introduced myself before I prayed, but I will.

Here we are. I'm 1 of the members of staff here. If it's your first time with us or you're visiting an a a particular warm welcome to warm. Ma'am, I I don't know as as we read that, that you thought, what is going on here? I mean, it's a it's an amazing story, really.

Actually, it was a story that got me searching on the internet to find what sort of things you get in fish's mouths. Yeah? I I've that that's all I've done. I mean, I don't know what the text is about, but I can tell you that there was a sperm whale found once with 1000000 euros worth of gold hidden in it. So this does happen.

In fact, I've looked this up. Rings, no studs and other valuables are strange things that have been found in the bellies of fish. You know, so Tom, you love fishing. You might find the jackpot. Do you wanna know some other things that have been found on fish?

Yeah. Oh, look at that. Yes. That's that's more exciting than the actual word of god. Yes.

Give me Okay. 1, a century old religious manuscript was found within a fish. It turned out to be, 3 devotional works by John Fritz, who was a martyr. There you go. That's quite impressive, isn't it?

Another 1, this is 1 of my favorite ones. There was 1 British businessman who, lost his phone, when he was out at sea. And now this is the amazing bet. A week later, he gets a phone call from a fisherman who says that he's retrieved the phone from a 25 pound cod, which he was like, he thought he was winding him up. He says, but it turned out to be true.

His nokia, so that's so strange how old this was. His nokia was truly found inside off this fish, he says. I didn't believe him, but went to meet him and found it was my phone a bit smelly and battered, but incredibly, it still worked after I let it dry out. Okay? That's quite a good 1, isn't it?

Another another another favorite of mine, a bloke dropped his dentures in there, in a in a lake, and, he then caught a 20 pound catfish to find that his dentures were still in there. That's amazing, isn't it? So pop them pop them back in. I I've got loads. You want me to keep going?

Oh, yeah. 1 1 1 catfish had a silver thimble, a gold ring, and a counterfeit dime **** ** in a rag. Another 1 had 2 I mean, this is incredible. How big was this catfish? Are 2 broken bottles, a quart pot, a preserved milk tin, 7 medium sized crabs, a piece of earth and where triangular in shape and 3 inches in length and crushed them with oyster shells, a sheep head, some mutton and beef bones, and some loose oyster shells.

And then to to to round it all off my favorite, a severed finger. Alright. So there you go. Good, isn't it? Yeah.

So there you go. Should we pray, for his word, for god's word. I mean, there you go. So what is going on here? Is this just an opportunity for me to look up some, facts about fish and what what's found in them?

Why is this passage here? You might be thinking, in fact, when I when Finn texts me, I've told her I was gonna shame her publicly. Fin texts me to find out what we should sing as a response. She didn't have a clue. She said, I'll just do something generic.

And I was like, yeah, I don't know either. Or so. But, actually, this is here for a reason. In fact, this is the only the only gospel that includes this this this miracle. Matthew is the only 1 And it makes sense for Matthew to include this.

Matthew himself was from Capernium. He'd probably been down to this lake as a young young child himself, done a bit of fishing himself there. I'm I'm probably 1 of the reasons why Matthew has included this is because his job was to collect tax. So this is kind of something that would have really resonated with Matthew, I imagine. And not only that, but the Holy Spirit has inspired Matthew to put this down into words so that we may learn stuff.

And so it's not just about what you might find in the belly of a fish. Alright. In fact, this is a passage that's gonna teach us great things about Jesus. So let's have a look at this. Here's my first point, a remarkable account, a remarkable account.

So we we start the story as you see in in verse 24 Jesus and his disciples, they've made their way to capernaum, as we said, as Matthew's hometown. But this is also a site where Jesus does incredible things. Teachers's incredible things does incredible miracles. Not only is it that, but it's also the hometown of Peter as as we saw in chapter chapter 8. And as they get into Capernium, they're approached by these tax collectors.

Did you notice in verse 24? After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernium, the collectors of the 2 Drakva Temple Tax came to Peter and asked, doesn't your teacher pay the temple tax. Now these aren't the the the tax collectors that when when you usually see tax collectors in the bible you think that people everybody hates. Yeah? Like today.

The people that are are are working for Rome, taking our money, and using it for Rome, and and, skipping a bit off the top to help themselves. Now these are these actually probably respected people. They're people that work for the temple. And they collect this 2 Draachma coin. It's about 2 days labor, where money.

And so they're actually using that money to support the temple. And the reason why we read that exodus is because it's that exodus law that they're trying to fulfill here. So they're actually doing a spiritual national job for the the nation of of Israel. And so, you saw in the exit of this passage, you might wanna look back at it. They were to to to collect half a shekel.

And so the equivalent of that is the 2 drachma coin. But did you notice that that money what that money was in chapter 30. You might glance at it again. It says when you take a census of the Israelites to count them, each 1 must pay the lord a ransom for his life at the time he is counted later on, which inverse, sorry. I can't see it.

It's it's it's a receive the atonement money. It's a a money for atonement. Thank you. 15. Beautiful.

It's up there. You can do the work yourself, Dean. Thank you. So here it is. It's it's it's this money.

It's an atonement. It's a ransom fee for the soul, for the life of the person. And what it's used for, you'll notice at the end, is that it was used to upkeep the tent of meeting, and obviously the tent of meeting with a tabernacle in the old testament replaced by the temple. Okay? Is everyone with me?

This makes sense. So this is the the the the the tax that they're collecting. And so every time that you paid that money, it would re remind you of 2 things. It would remind you that god is a redeeming god, and it would remind you that a price must be paid for your life. And so these guys come to Peter.

I guess they come to Peter because they're familiar with him. They recognize him. He's the that local fisherman whose house is up the road. He lives with his mother-in-law who who Jesus healed. And they asked this question.

They asked that question, doesn't your teacher pay the temple tax? Now I don't know what sort of way they're asking this. I don't know if it's like, we've heard, and we're looking down on or or they come to Peter because they're they're they're quite an awe of this Jesus or they're thinking he's he's saying a load of different things. He's doing some pretty amazing stuff. We're not we're not worthy to go and talk to him, but because he's so different, does he pay this does he pay this temple tax or not?

That's the question. What's clear is that at this point, Jesus hasn't paid it. Now If you've been covering the last few weeks, we've seen, and we know Peter, don't we? He's a a very zealous. I mean, you could never accuse Peter of lacking zeal, because you.

He's a passionate man. In fact, quite quite possibly. He's overzealous. And you'll notice in in verse 25, he's quick as a flash here, isn't he? Yes.

He does. Yes. He does. Straight off the bat, no consultation with Jesus. He's not like Jesus, do we pay?

Do we pay the temple tax here or not? He's like, nope. He he pays it? Don't you dare, don't you dare accuse my my lord. I'll speak on behalf of him.

And so he says, yes, he does. And then he goes to meet Jesus. And he you can imagine, can't you, you know, I've I've spoken on behalf of Jesus, but as you walk away, you think did I say the right thing there? And, I better go and check the I did I better go and check with Jesus. Did I say the right thing there or not?

Do we? Do we pay the triple tax? I say he comes into the house where Jesus is, and Jesus is ready for him. Did you notice? You'll see here in verse 25.

When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. It's like he's the word actually is he was anticipating. He was ready to address this issue that Peter has been so quick to to talk about with these guys without actually speaking to Jesus. And so he's gonna use a simple analogy to address this issue. Look, look down with me again, at verse 25.

He uses this very simple analogy What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the Earth collect duty and taxes, from their own children or from others? It's a very simple question for a for a simple man like Peter. We need multiple choices, and we need a 50 50 option. Higher chance of success for Peter.

And Peter thinks, well, I could go option a, children, or I could go option b, others, or strangers as other other translations has it. There goes option b, first 26. From others? Well, done, Peter. Got it in 1.

Yeah? And so Jesus then responds that if it's from other people that kings take taxes, then the children, look with me, are exempt. In other words, the children are free from paying this tax. See, we know, don't we? If you know your history, if you know anything about monarchy, if you know anything about kings or queens, they don't go asking their children for tax.

You know? They don't, you know, you don't see well, it's a bit different now, but back in the day, Henry VIII wasn't asking Ed with the 6 for tax. Was he? No. He taxed his subjects, the people that aren't in his family.

I mean, some kings tax very heavily their subjects, but they don't tax their children. And so what Jesus is saying? Just as just as kings don't ask for tax from their children. So god the the king of the universe whose whose temple is meant to be his royal, royal palace in a sense where the most holy places is royal foot where his royal footstool is. He won't ask his children to pay this temple tax.

So what is Jesus implying here? He's saying, Peter, remember a couple of days ago, where were we? Where were we a couple of days ago, Jesus? Peter, sorry? Where were we?

We were on a mountain. And on that mountain, you saw me gloriously revealed to be god himself. And what was the voice of god? What did the voice of god say on that mount of transfiguration verse 5 of chapter 17? This is my son whom I love With him, I am well pleased.

Listen to him. Peter, don't go off. Say whatever you want. Listen to Jesus. Here's what we see in this in this in this passage.

Jesus again is saying that I am the son of god. And because I am the son of god, the temple tax is not applicable to me. It's not applicable to the children of god. The king doesn't demand that I pay this tax. So Jesus has no obligation whatsoever to pay this tax.

So maybe that would have been a better answer, Peter, does your teacher pay? Well, to be honest, Lads, he doesn't need to. He's the son of god. Is maybe what the answer he should have said. Yet, verse 27, but so that we may not cause a fence, go to the lake and throw out your line.

Take the first fish you catch, open its mouth, and you'll find a 4 Drag Mac coin, take it and give it to them for my tax and yours. Yet, Jesus has no obligation to pay this yet he does anyway. Now 1 of the reasons I think he pays it is because he's come to fulfill the law. He's gotta be the perfect law keeper, and he's gonna do that. And to do that, what a miracle?

Jesus loves a good fish miracle, doesn't he? Doesn't he love a good fish miracle? Who doesn't love a good fish miracle? All. You know?

2 times in the gospels. There are a miraculous catcher fish. Wheidley and Johnny records the amount, correct number of 153 fish. 2 other times, he takes a few fish sandwich and does what with them, multiplies them. And here again, we have another fish miracle, except it's only 1 fish this time.

And it's the only time really that there's money involved. And so, Peter, go to the lake, get a hook and a line, cast it out. No. Not even a bait. Not in a little magnet on there, worming its way around.

Yeah. Maybe you did. I don't know. But anyway, there you go. Chuck it in.

And when you get that first fish, you'll find not a 2 Drag McCoy. It's find a 4 Draachma coin. And it's not just for Jesus that he's gonna pay this temple tax. He's gonna pay it for Peter as well. That's an amazing miracle, isn't it?

Unique. Tom sweetman, maybe because he's a keen angler, thinks that this is the most remarkable miracle in the whole of the Bible. I did dispute that. I thought the incarnation is pretty special, but anyway, here you go. Can you see the providence of god?

Providence meaning he's in control and working through all things. Could you just think about this this this whole event? What's had have had have happened here? In the end is a bloke has has come like that man with his nokia phone and dropped a 4 track Mac coin. K?

And he he's probably few men because he's like, what am I gonna tell tell the wife when I get home that I've just dropped, you know, 4 days labor's worth of money. Anyway, that's then sunk to the bottom of this lake. And then you've gotta have to have a a fish. A bottom feeder, they call it. That's a weird name, whether you don't know what that means, isn't it, Jamie?

It means they They're on the bottom of the the lake. Yes. And the they feed on the things at the bottom of the lake. So it's probably like a catfish or something. That then catfish has got to swallow this Draachma coin.

Alright? That's gonna happen. And then Peter's gonna come, lob a hook in, and it will just happen that that bottom feeder, I I need to say catfish. Let's say catfish, comes and takes on that hook, and he kicks it out, and there's a drag mccoyne. No 1 else impressed by that?

You will look thoroughly bored at the back there. Yeah. Well done, Lucas. This is god's. This is the son of god, and he is in control.

Of all things. This is a son of god, and he provides for the needs of his people. Interestingly, in this, this account, and I think, this might be the only miracle that this happens We're not told whether it works or not. That's because we're not we're not we don't need to be told that, do we? Jesus said it, it happened.

You can imagine, Pete. I I I wonder if Peter at this stage has now seen so many miracles of Jesus. Like, he's like, oh, this is gonna be boss this. Yeah. And he runs down to the lake and he's like, and people are like, Peter, you're usually fishing with Nets aren't you allowed?

And he's like, nah, but I've been told to take a hook and a line, and I'm gonna get a fish with a full dragon coin in it. I I'm excited must have been palpable. This is a remarkable account, isn't it? What's story. But what I wanna suggest to you is that it gets deeper than this.

Because I think what we're seeing here is that Jesus is gonna provide something more than what we've seen. So we've seen a remarkable account, but secondly, a redemptive adoption, a redemptive adoption. Verse 26. Look at that again. I just want you to focus in on that 1 sentence from Jesus.

He's had this analogy. Peter said from others 26, and then Jesus says those those 5 words, then the children are exempt then the children are free. That is a sentence full of meaning. The children are free. What are they free from?

Well, for starters, they're free from the temple tax. Why are they free from the temple tax? Because the temple is no longer of any use. The temple is obsolete because there is 1 greater than the temple who is the temple himself, talking to them very in that very moment. See, the physical building of the temple is replaced with a person, the very lord Jesus Christ himself.

He is the temple. He's the temple. He's the 1 who who in John, it says he tabernacled with his people in John chapter 2 in verse 19. He declares to the, religious are leaders of the time to destroy this temple, and then what? 3 days later, I will build it again, talking about his body, talking about the fact that he is the the the the point of which we meet with god.

He is the the person in which you can have access to god. And so because he is the temple now, he is the 1 that pays the tax for your soul. He pays the the ransom for your life. The ransom is gonna be paid by this 1 who claims to be the temple, who claims to be the son of god. And so because the ransom is paid, we all know what a ransom is, don't we?

A ransom where you pay the charge for the release of a prisoner. Because Jesus pays the ransom, sinful souls may go free. Wasn't it an interesting point that Jesus didn't just pay the Dragma for himself, but he paid the Dragma for Peter. As well. He pays a price that simple souls may go free.

How does he do that? We'll look at verse 22 to 23. When they came together in Galile, he said to them, the son of man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him. And on the third day, he will be raised to life, and the disciples will with grief.

That's how he's gonna do it. The lord Jesus Christ is gonna march to a cross and die on the cross and shed the blood payment that is required to set Simple Souls free, and then he will rise from that death to put a stamp to say that the payment has been received. You know, like, you get your receipt at the when you pay for your cookies. I had a cookie. That's all of the internet cookie.

You get receipt. Or when something's been redeemed, they stamp it to say that it's been redeemed. The ransom has been paid. Jesus' blood has been shed on the cross so that your soul may be free. And what does it what does what does the Bible say about this?

Well, in chapter 20, as we go on in verse 28, it says just as a son of man himself did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a what, as a ransom for many? 1 Timothy, chapter 2 verse 6, Christ Jesus gave himself as a ransom for all. This is what Jesus has come to do. It's to pay the ransom fee for your soul, for your life. And what does it achieve?

But it's not just redemption. It's not just that you get to go free. It's that you may be declared. Men and women that you may be declared the children of god. 1 of my favorite books is the book of Romans, and the reason I love Romans is because in the first section of Romans, it says that Jesus died to justify you to pay the price so that you may go free.

But more amazingly and incredible that there could be something more amazing, isn't it? Than your justification is that god may adopt you into his family. You, who was, who was a a sinner, who was a rebel, who was an enemy to god, can now be called a son and a daughter of the living god. In Romans chapter 8, what a a masterful chapter? I mean, 1 worth memorizing if you can.

In verse 14 to 17, it says this. For those who are led by the spirit of god are the children of god. The spirit you receive does not make you slaves so that you live in fear again. Rather, the spirit you receive brought about your adoption to sonship and buy him you cry. Abba, father, Abba, father, the very precious name of a father like daddy, like you are my dad, you're my precious father.

Abba, father, the spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are god's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs, heirs of god and co heirs with Christ. Wow. He pays the ransom. To free you from sin and adopt you into the family of god.

And I think what Jesus is doing here is that he is signifying the end of the old covenant, and he's bringing in the new. See, in the old covenant, for the Jewish believer, the covenantal name of gods was yahweh. That's what they would call him. But the new covenant, we can still use yahweh, but it's even greater now because we can actually call the god of the whole of the universe, father. That's how Jesus teaches us to pray, our father.

And so if you trust in Jesus, I guess Peter had to trust in Jesus that this was gonna happen, you trust in Jesus then you may be called the children of god. And we can say with John, in 1 John 3, see what love the father has lavished on us. I love the word lavished. It's like poured it over you. It's god, put it all on you.

Why do we know that god has lavished his love on us that we may be called the children of god. Praise god for the lord Jesus Christ. And so Jesus comes and by his death on the cross, he frees us from the old way. He frees us from the burden of trying to pay our own price. He freezes from the burden of sacrificing things and sacrificing and sacrificing and sacrificing and trying to achieve on my own ability her, her freedom from slavery.

I'm free from that, and I'm brought into his family. See, sons, and daughters don't pay. Jesus has paid it for you. But there are those who do pay. The strangers will continue to live a life that tries to justify themselves.

And ultimately they will pay with their lives. So will you be a child of god or will you be a stranger to god? Have you trusted in the lord Jesus Christ to be your ransom. Have you trusted in the lord Jesus Christ to bring you into the very family of god? And for us who have, let's not lose sight of that.

That is 1 of the most incredible doctrines in the whole of the Bible. You have been redeemed. You have been adopted. And for those who have been redeemed and those who have been adopted, what then? Well, here's my third point.

Relinquishing action. Relinquishing action. The the action of letting go. See, if this story stopped at verse 26, we we could just come out and go, well, great. I don't have to pay the temple tax.

And maybe I won't pay the temple tax because I'm free. I mean, Peter hasn't paid the temple tax at this point, so maybe he's like, get in there. I've got off it. But it doesn't end there. Does it?

Because verse 27 does happen. And verse 27 says, but so that we may not cause offence, go and get that fish. Now it's interesting because if you've been following Matthew, and if you know anything about the gospels, Jesus and 1 of the reasons I actually quite like Jesus in the gospels, he's not afraid to offend, is he? No. Just previously, and chapter, chapter 15, he's basically called the religious leaders of the time, filthy, and not right with God.

And the disciples have come up to him and said, did you not know you've offended the leaders? And he's like, let them be offended basic. You know, in in a couple of chapters in chapter 21, he's gonna march into the temple and start flipping the place upside down and driving people out. He's not afraid to offend there when his home hometown of Nazareth He deliberately tells 2 stories of people that aren't Jews coming in to the blessings of god that causes people to take him to the top of a mountain and about to chuck him off. He's not he's not afraid to offend, is it usually?

In fact, it it seems like on per it does on purpose offend. So what what is going on here? Does it sound easy contradicting himself? Is he thinking actually, maybe I went a bit too hard before? Well, I think what's going on here is that Jesus is showing that he is a master strategist strategist.

Got there in the end. In chapter 10 verse 6 Steve said be as shrewder snakes and as innocent as doves. And here, he's demonstrating that very point. See, when there are idols to be smashed, when there is issues in the culture to be dealt with, When there are things that are stopping people coming to know him as savior, that's when he's gonna expose him, and that's when he's gonna offend. Because the the the the idols the things that people are going for need to be exposed to what they are so that the need for the gospel can be clearly seen to them.

I mean, the gospel is offensive. The gospel is offensive. You're telling people that there is only 1 way to to to god the father that is through the lord Jesus Christ. That means that most people are wrong. How dare you say I'm wrong?

So there are times where where Jesus is going to be offensive. But in this case, he doesn't want to cause offense. And I think what's going on here is that he wants to make sure that there are no barriers for people to come to him and accept him as a savior. He doesn't want people to go away saying Jesus is rebellious for this reason. Jesus wants you not to do this that and the other.

He wants them to see that he is he is perfect. And so as a result of that, he is willing to give up his rights to give up his freedoms in order that there are no barriers for people to come and access him and access the redemption and adoption that he has put an offer. And this here is just a small picture of how he does that in the grand scheme of things, isn't it? A few weeks ago, I referenced Philipp's 2. Philipp's 2 is 1 of my favorite passages because it it tracks It tracks the journey of the lord Jesus Christ from the the very throne room of glory to this world.

Jesus Jesus had every right to stay in glory. Didn't he? Jesus had every right for your praise and adoration. That is his rightful position. Yet Jesus gave it all up.

He did not consider equality with god something to be grasped. Rather he comes. And he comes all the way to that cross where he pays the price that we cannot Jesus is the atoning sacrifice and pays what you cannot pay. He's first and foremost our atoning sacrifice, but he's also our example He's also our example. Attoting sacrifice first, but he's our example as well.

See, if you are a a believer in the lord Jesus Christ, therefore, you are a children who has been set a child who has been set free. And so just as Jesus gives up his right to not pay the temple tax and pays it anyway, just as Jesus gave up the very throne room that he that he so he has lived in forever. He gave it up to die on the cross. Just as Jesus has given it all up for us, then we can give up our freedoms so that the gospel of redemption and adoption is readily accessible, and it's held out to many people that there are no barriers up so that they come to know Jesus' as savior, that they come to know god as father. This is this this happens all the time.

The 1 of the best examples of this is the apostle Paul. The apostle Paul, so wants people to know about Jesus that he's willing to give things up. And, you know, it's it's I've always feel a bit sorry for Timothy. Do you, you know, Timothy? You know, Paul has said, look, circumcision is not a thing.

You don't have to do circumcision. And then Timothy comes along, things. Oh, brilliant. I'll do our mission with Paul. And Paul says, right.

I know I said all that stuff about circumcision, but I'm gonna circumcise you, lad. I think he was, devastated. Yeah? But why does he circumcise Timothy? Because he knows he's going to an area with Jewish people, and he wants them to be able to hear the word of god.

And so he doesn't want that to be a distracting barrier that stops them coming to know the lord, Jesus. He's removing the stumbling blocks. And then he goes on in 1 Corinthians. I love 1 Corinthians chapter 9. Because in 1 Corinthians to 9.

He says this. You know, he's he's a preacher of the gospel. He deserves to be paid. He doesn't he? Yeah.

He doesn't do that. So in 1 Corinthians chapter 9 and verse 18, he says, what then is my reward? Just this? That in preaching the gospel, I may offer it free of charge, and so not make full use of my rights as a preacher of the gospel. He had every right to be paid, but he said, no.

I don't wanna bury her to the gospel. I'm gonna give her for free. Then he goes on, I mean, you might wanna look at it at 1 Corinthians 9 verse 19 to 23. He says this, though I am free and belong to no 1. I have made myself a slave to everyone to win as many as possible.

He's free, but I'll be a slave to win people, to the Jews verse 20. I became like a Jew to win the Jews, to those under the law. I became like 1 under the law, though myself. I'm not under the law. So as to win those onto the law.

To those not having the law, I became, like, 1, not having the law, though I am not free from god's law, but I'm under Christ's law. So as to win those not having the law. To the week, I became weak to win the week. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means, I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel that I may share in its blessings.

The apostle Paul looked at Esatonin sacrifice the lord Jesus Christ and said, I'm gonna follow him. I'm gonna follow him. I'm gonna give up my rights. I'm gonna give my rights to be paid. I'm gonna give my give up my freedom so that as many people as possible will be 1 to the kingdom of god into the family of Jesus.

And this plays out in so many ways. He goes on in in Romans 14, and he says, look, don't drink things, don't eat things that will cause offense so that people may live for Jesus. So will you give up? Will you relinquish your freedoms? Will you relinquish your rights?

Will you give up your time, your energy, your homes, your money, your preferences? So that the lord Jesus may be reclaimed and there'll be no barrier for people to come to know him. I know, of 1 pastor, that when his his church, found themselves in financial difficulty, said I will give up my rights to a wage so that the church may continue. That is giving up my rights so that the gospel may go forward. Will you give up your money?

It's always a touchy point to talk about money. The Lord has given you money will you give it? Will you give up the things that the lord has given you to see gospel advancement? Will you give up your home as many of you did this afternoon for guess who's coming to lunch and show hospitality to people so that they may have access to the gospel. Will you give your time and energy to to serve in a ministry to attend the meetings of the church to encourage your brothers and sisters in Christ to pray for the gospel advancement.

Will you give up your position of high stakes? I love in this church that there are some people that are big earners, maybe, or bigger earner than me, which isn't hard because I'm a teacher and I work for this church. Sorry. That sounds really negative. I didn't mean that in any way, but I love seeing those whom in society's eyes would have great status, and they get down into the dirt and they serve the church that they're willing to be in a business meeting on Friday.

And then on Sunday, look after children in in in in the tots group on a Sunday can have to deal with that. We give up your preferences You have a choice who to spend your time with. Yeah. Maybe it's best to look at around and see the people that are lonely, that are new, that need a friend that need the lord Jesus Christ. Well, you give up your grudges.

You have the right to be angry with someone. You give that up and afford them the forgiveness that has been afforded to you in the lord Jesus Christ. So where are you in all of this? Where are you? Maybe for the first time tonight, You have come face to face with the lord Jesus Christ and has incredible work on a cross to redeem you to set you free and to adopt you.

And maybe for the first time, you will try in Jesus, and know what it is to be in his family, know what it is to be free from the slavery of this world, and brothers and sisters in Christ What a savior? What a savior? Let's not grow tired of that truth that he would pay the ransom for me and that he would adopt me that I may call him Abba father, praise Jesus that he has rescued us. And as we praise him, follow him, and maybe think, what will you give up for the gospel proclamation. Let us pray.

Father, we thank you so much for this wonderful account. And when we first read it, our hearts are so numb sometimes. Yet you pack it full of truths about you. We thank you for the lord Jesus that he is truly the son of god, the 1 who provides the 1 who is in control, and we thank you that ultimately he has provided redemption, and he has provided adoption. See what love the father has lavished on us that we should be called the children of God.

We praise you lord Jesus that you would shed your blood to make that a reality. And as we look at Jesus, who gave up his right to make that possible. We pray that you will give us reflection and, that we would consider what we may give up so that there are no barriers for gospel proclamation and gospel advance father, work in us, such a love for what you have done for us, such a love for Jesus that we would want to give it all so that people may come and know the blessings of redemption and adoption themselves. We pray these things in Jesus' name.