Sunday Sermon Review Matthew 26

Our church has been going through the book of Matthew. We are in the latter part of chapter 26.
I have posted the text at the bottom of the page.
I have been taking notes as our Pastor has been preaching through the book of Matthew. Here are my sermon notes from this portion. Pastor Ben was speaking.

Jesus has been overwhelmed with sorrow. He agonizes over what He knows is going to happen. The disciples have been asleep and Jesus wakes them. 


Jesus is Betrayed
Jesus is still speaking when Judas one of his closest companions comes with a multitude of people to arrest Jesus. Judas is one of Jesus' handpicked disciples and has preached and seen Jesus do all His miracles. Judas sells Him out for a bit of money. Judas betrays Jesus and does so with a kiss.

Jesus is Abandoned
The disciples had pledged to stick with Jesus through everything. They had promised to even die with him. Peter volunteers to fight for Jesus but Jesus rebukes him. The disciples all abandon Jesus.

Jesus is Unjustly Condemned
The Jewish leaders look for a way and a reason to kill Jesus.
There is a conflict of power between the High Priest Caiaphas and Jesus. Messiah means the Anointed One and Caiaphas is an anointed High Priest. 

Jesus is Denied by Peter
Peter really did love Jesus. He had followed Jesus wholeheartedly. Jesus demands our complete allegiance including in the area of money and possessions.
Are we any different than Peter? What are we willing to do to protect our social status and our reputation. This is what Peter is trying to do.

Jesus walks into this because of His love for us. Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Jesus is not a helpless victim, He embraces this for us.
Jesus is in complete control.
Jesus still calls Judas "friend".


Jesus' hand of invitation is still stretched out to us!

Matthew 26: 46 - 7546 Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me.47 And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people.48 Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast.49 And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him.50 And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus and took him.51 And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest's, and smote off his ear.52 Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.53 Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?54 But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?55 In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me.56 But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.57 And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled.58 But Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest's palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end.59 Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death;60 But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses,61 And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.62 And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee?63 But Jesus held his peace, And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.65 Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy.66 What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death.67 Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands,68 Saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?69 Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee.70 But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest.71 And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth.72 And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man.73 And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee.74 Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew.75 And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.

“Iran two weeks away from weapons-grade uranium” - from Joel Rosenberg

The following is an article from Joel Rosenberg's blog - link to blog at  http://flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com/

“Iran two weeks away from weapons-grade uranium”: former IAEA senior official.

In Uncategorized on October 29, 2013 at 7:07 pm

Delegates from the P5+1 and Iran meet in Geneva, at the start of two days of talks regarding Tehran’s nuclear program, Tuesday, October 15, 2013 (photo credit: AP/Fabrice Coffrini)

“Iran could produce enough weapons-grade uranium to build an atomic weapon within two weeks and has, “in a certain way,” already reached the point of no return in its nuclear program, a former senior International Atomic Energy Association official said Monday,”reports the Times of Israel.

“I believe that if certain arrangements are done, it could even go down to two weeks. So there are a lot of concerns out there that Iran can hopefully now address, in this new phase, both at the P5+1 [talks between Tehran and six world powers] and with the IAEA,” former IAEA deputy director Olli Heinonen said, confirming a report released last week by the Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security, which stated Iran could muster enough uranium for a bomb by converting all of its 20-percent enriched stockpile within 1 to 1.6 months.

Excerpts from the Times story:

• Earlier on Monday, IAEA Director Yukiya Amano met in Vienna with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, Tehran’s top nuclear negotiator, ahead of two days of technical talks between Iranian representatives and the UN’s nuclear watchdog, Amano described his meeting as important in addressing ‘the outstanding issues regarding Iran’s nuclear program.’ Speaking to journalists on a conference call organized by The Israel Project, Heinonen contrived to sound optimistic and pessimistic at the same time.”
• “They are forward looking,” he about the Iranian negotiators. “And I think they have realized that they don’t get away from this situation unless they answer properly the questions raised by the IAEA and concerns raised by the international community. So I’m to a certain degree hopeful. But we have to make sure that everything is covered.”
• “Asked specifically if Iran had passed the ‘point of no return’ in its nuclear program, Heinonen, today a senior fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, replied, “Yes, in a certain way. But we have to remember what are the capabilities of Iran. People have slightly different definitions of breakout capability.”
• In his assessment, which appears to concur with that of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a critical level is reached when the Iranians have enriched enough uranium to weapons grade, in the form of hexafluoride gas enrichment, to create a nuclear bomb.
• “But you still don’t have a nuclear weapon,” Heinonen added. Preparing the highly enriched uranium for a nuclear bomb would take another month or two, “assuming that someone has all the knowledge.” After that, assembling an actual nuclear weapon that can be delivered with a ballistic missile would take perhaps another year, he said.
• Iran continues to install hundreds of new advanced centrifuges every month, drastically reducing the so-called breakout time it would require in order to produce weapons-grade uranium if it decided to do so, he said.
• Israel has called for Iran to be stripped of all enrichment capability, saying even low-grade uranium could be made suitable for a nuclear weapon in a short time with enough centrifuges running. “Regarding Iran, we are not impressed by the discussion surrounding the issue of 20% enrichment,” Netanyahu said Sunday, referring to reports that Tehran has been insisting on retaining the ability to enrich uranium to that level. “Its importance is superfluous as a result of the improvements the Iranians have made in the past year, which allow them to jump over the barrier of 20% enrichment and proceed directly from 3.5% enrichment to 90% within weeks, weeks at most.”

MARRIED OR NOT, YOU SHOULD READ THIS ...

 Colossians 3:19  Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.


I got this story from my friend Kathy's FB page. It's a longer story but so worth the read.


MARRIED OR NOT, YOU SHOULD READ THIS ... ( Kailyn 's photo )

“When I got home that night as my wife served dinner, I held her hand and said, I’ve got something to tell you. She sat down and ate quietly. Again I observed the hurt in her eyes.

Suddenly I didn’t know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know what I was thinking. I want a divorce. I raised the topic calmly. She didn’t seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, why?

I avoided her question. This made her angry. She threw away the chopsticks and shouted at me, you are not a man! That night, we didn’t talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage. But I could hardly give her a satisfactory answer; she had lost my heart to Jane. I didn’t love her anymore. I just pitied her!

With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated that she could own our house, our car, and 30% stake of my company. She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. The woman who had spent ten years of her life with me had become a stranger. I felt sorry for her wasted time, resources and energy but I could not take back what I had said for I loved Jane so dearly. Finally she cried loudly in front of me, which was what I had expected to see. To me her cry was actually a kind of release. The idea of divorce which had obsessed me for several weeks seemed to be firmer and clearer now.

The next day, I came back home very late and found her writing something at the table. I didn’t have supper but went straight to sleep and fell asleep very fast because I was tired after an eventful day with Jane. When I woke up, she was still there at the table writing. I just did not care so I turned over and was asleep again.

In the morning she presented her divorce conditions: she didn’t want anything from me, but needed a month’s notice before the divorce. She requested that in that one month we both struggle to live as normal a life as possible. Her reasons were simple: our son had his exams in a month’s time and she didn’t want to disrupt him with our broken marriage.

This was agreeable to me. But she had something more, she asked me to recall how I had carried her into out bridal room on our wedding day. She requested that every day for the month’s duration I carry her out of our bedroom to the front door ever morning. I thought she was going crazy. Just to make our last days together bearable I accepted her odd request.

I told Jane about my wife’s divorce conditions. . She laughed loudly and thought it was absurd. No matter what tricks she applies, she has to face the divorce, she said scornfully.

My wife and I hadn’t had any body contact since my divorce intention was explicitly expressed. So when I carried her out on the first day, we both appeared clumsy. Our son clapped behind us, daddy is holding mommy in his arms. His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the sitting room, then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms. She closed her eyes and said softly; don’t tell our son about the divorce. I nodded, feeling somewhat upset. I put her down outside the door. She went to wait for the bus to work. I drove alone to the office.

On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my chest. I could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I hadn’t looked at this woman carefully for a long time. I realized she was not young any more. There were fine wrinkles on her face, her hair was graying! Our marriage had taken its toll on her. For a minute I wondered what I had done to her.

On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of intimacy returning. This was the woman who had given ten years of her life to me. On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that our sense of intimacy was growing again. I didn’t tell Jane about this. It became easier to carry her as the month slipped by. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger.

She was choosing what to wear one morning. She tried on quite a few dresses but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, all my dresses have grown bigger. I suddenly realized that she had grown so thin, that was the reason why I could carry her more easily.

Suddenly it hit me… she had buried so much pain and bitterness in her heart. Subconsciously I reached out and touched her head.

Our son came in at the moment and said, Dad, it’s time to carry mom out. To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had become an essential part of his life. My wife gestured to our son to come closer and hugged him tightly. I turned my face away because I was afraid I might change my mind at this last minute. I then held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly; it was just like our wedding day.

But her much lighter weight made me sad. On the last day, when I held her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. I held her tightly and said, I hadn’t noticed that our life lacked intimacy. I drove to office…. jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I was afraid any delay would make me change my mind…I walked upstairs. Jane opened the door and I said to her, Sorry, Jane, I do not want the divorce anymore.

She looked at me, astonished, and then touched my forehead. Do you have a fever? She said. I moved her hand off my head. Sorry, Jane, I said, I won’t divorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn’t value the details of our lives, not because we didn’t love each other anymore. Now I realize that since I carried her into my home on our wedding day I am supposed to hold her until death do us apart. Jane seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove away. At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet of flowers for my wife. The salesgirl asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and wrote, I’ll carry you out every morning until death do us apart.

That evening I arrived home, flowers in my hands, a smile on my face, I run up stairs, only to find my wife in the bed -dead. My wife had been fighting CANCER for months and I was so busy with Jane to even notice. She knew that she would die soon and she wanted to save me from the whatever negative reaction from our son, in case we push through with the divorce.— At least, in the eyes of our son—- I’m a loving husband….

The small details of your lives are what really matter in a relationship. It is not the mansion, the car, property, the money in the bank. These create an environment conducive for happiness but cannot give happiness in themselves.

So find time to be your spouse’s friend and do those little things for each other that build intimacy. 

Watch and Pray - Sunday Sermon Review

Sunday Sermon Review from my home church I attend regularly. We are continuing on in our Matthew series. This Sunday's sermon was from Matthew 26: 31 - 46 with the focus verse 41 being verse where it says:   Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.


Matthew 36: 31-46 

31 Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.

32 But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee.

33 Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.

34 Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.

35 Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples.

36 Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.

37 And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.

38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.

39 And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?

41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.

43 And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy.

44 And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.

45 Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

46 Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me.

Here are my sermon notes:

We have come to the climax of the book of Matthew. The darkest part of a story is the climax.

Things don't always work out as we had hoped or expected. There is loss of hope and we experience pain.

Jesus went to the garden of Gethsemane to pray. He is troubled and He is sorrowful. He calls on the disciples to pray with him. They fall asleep though He urges them to "watch and pray!" These are words for all of us - Watch and Pray!

How do we watch and pray?

We must remember that when we pray we are calling out to our Heavenly Father - our Abba that is our "Daddy".

We are to pour out our heart to our Heavenly Father.

Why would you hold back? Our Heavenly Father has a furious love for his children.

Jesus prays " nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt".  Jesus is driven to glorify God. He has learned obedience as a Son as we learn in Hebrews 5:8  Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;

How can it be the Father's will that Jesus would suffer?

Jesus is fully human and fully God. Jesus chose to suffer and die for us out of love for us. The human side of Jesus does not want to go through this but He prays "  not as I will, but as thou wilt". He submits to the will of our Heavenly Father.

Prayer is about coming to accept the will of the Father.

Bring everything to Him. We need to have the same attitude as Jesus had.

Some people resist submitting to the Father.

Our flesh needs to die -  our flesh needs to be exposed. We need to walk in the Spirit.

Jesus is overwhelmed to the point of death. He pleads for a different way but He submits to the will of the Father.

Ask your Heavenly Father for protection from temptation.

To watch means you make a plan to help you to avoid falling to the temptations. Do what it takes to remain faithful to our Lord Jesus, to remain faithful to the will of our Father in Heaven.

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I once heart Woodrow Kroll pray this pray and I thought I would make it my own: 

Heavenly Father - Your will be done, nothing more, nothing less, nothing else.

Amen

The Gift of Belonging - in marriage and family life

Jeremiah 31:3
The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

Ephesians 5: 24-26 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

We all have the need to feel that we belong. We have a need to feel accepted in our families, circles of friends, churches and communities. This is true for everyone regardless of age, gender, race or financial status. Young children need to feel loved and accepted by their parents, as teens also do. Even adult children will continue to look for acceptance from their parents. It is important that parents spend much time pouring into the life of their children. No amount of money or extravagant gifts can take the place of quality time spent with your child. Not only are many good memories formed this way but the gift of belonging will be experienced by your children. Read the Bible to your children and pray with them. Take an interest in what is going on in their life and with their friends. Talk with your kids and treat them with respect.

 A wife needs to feel loved, accepted and appreciated by her husband. A husband needs love and acceptance from his wife. I remember when my husband and I were in premarital counselling many years ago, our Pastor pointed out this need of belonging that we have. Perhaps women are even more needy in this area than men. Our Pastor suggested that a husband should show love and appreciation to his wife in public regularly. This includes verbal affirmation of course but also simple things like holding hands with your wife or putting your arm around her in church or in other public settings. By doing this publically and in honesty you are declaring to your wife and everyone around "She is mine and I am proud to be able to call her mine!" This is the gift of belonging. Get to know your wife. God is first, but next is your spouse. Your spouse is a gift from the Lord a your greatest treasure. A wife needs to show love and respect to her husband. This includes listening to him when he talks to you, encouraging him in his line of work, straight up telling him that you admire him and that he is good at different things. This also includes being a willing and loving partner to your husband in bed. This also includes dressing modestly and absolutely no flirting with other men, as well as no bad mouthing your husband in conversation with other women.

 Our need to "belong" is also Spiritual. Knowing that we belong to the Lord Jesus takes a lot of the anxiety and stress out of life. If we have committed our life to the Lord Jesus and have repented of our sin and invited Him as Savior, we can be sure that the eye of the Lord is upon us, loving and caring for us in all of our life circumstances. Nothing can separate us from our Lord. And we have the assurance of eternal life in Heaven when our days are done here on this earth. 

The assurance of belonging to the Lord is of even greater importance than any human friendship or relationship. Belonging to Jesus puts a new joy in our heart that none other can give. The Lord wants to be in relationship with us. He longs for us to be in constant communication with Him. 



1 Peter 3:1-10  Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;

2 While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear.

3 Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;

4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

5 For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands:

6 Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.

7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

8 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:

9 Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.

10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: