Matthew 8 - January 8th, 2024

Good morning, church family.

My name is Brandon.

I just want to say thank you so much for joining us again today as we are journeying through the scriptures together.

And if you've been tracking along this past week, uh you know that we've been working through our time together uh in the scriptures uh through this acronym uh of bread, and it simply stands for the be, breathe, and then read, encounter, apply, and devote.

And so as we approach the scriptures this morning, uh it's really important to remember that uh the invitation is not just to read some words on a page or to check something off of your box this morning, but uh you were invited in to encounter the living God.

And so uh that's the promise is that when we seek him, we find him.

And so this morning, I just encourage you to find a quiet place and set some time aside and maybe grab a pen and some paper or a journal to be able to take notes of anything that you feel like the Lord might be saying and highlighting for you as you encounter him together.

And so uh as we open up the scriptures this morning, we'll start with uh that first letter to B, and we'll start with just simply breathing this morning.

So maybe just take a minute to get still before the Lord.

Maybe plant your feet firmly on the floor and uh maybe even just open up your hands, open up your palms as a sign of surrender and uh an invitation to the Lord this morning to invite him in.

Just be silent with Jesus.

Pay attention to him this morning, draw your thoughts towards him.

Maybe take a deep breath in.

And then exhale out slowly.

And I find it helpful just to maybe meditate on a word or a phrase as you breathe in.

And then as you breathe out, just maybe say that phrase, something like, Holy Spirit come.

Or maybe it's simply just Jesus.

Whatever helps you just to draw your attention, your heart's affection, and your mind towards God this morning.

And again, just breathe in.

Breathe out.

Maybe take one more big deep breath in and breathe out slowly.

And now let's move to the read portion of our morning as we encounter God through the scriptures and read our assigned passage for today.

Today we'll be in Matthew chapter 8.

Matthew 8 · chapter mention

And remember, we're slowly reading through today's passage and maybe listening for a verse that stands out to you, or something that grabs your attention, stirs your heart, or maybe even confronts you this morning.

And write that down and just jot that down as we focus in on what uh you believe the Holy Spirit might be saying to you this morning.

Matthew chapter 8.

Matthew 8 · chapter mention

Large crowds followed Jesus as he came down the mountainside.

Suddenly a man with leprosy approached him and knelt before him.

Lord, the man said, if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.

And Jesus reached out and touched him.

I am willing, he said.

Be healed.

And instantly the leprosy disappeared.

And then Jesus said to him, Don't tell anyone about this.

Instead, go to the priest and let him examine you.

Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy.

This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed.

And when Jesus returned to Capernaum, a Roman officer came and pleaded with him, Lord, my young servant lies in bed paralyzed and in terrible pain.

And Jesus said, I will come and heal him.

But the officer said, Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home.

Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed.

I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers.

I only need to say, Go, and they go, or come and they come.

And if I say to my slaves, do this, they do it.

And when Jesus heard this, he was amazed.

Turning to those who were following him, he said, I tell you the truth.

I haven't seen faith like this in all of Israel.

And I tell you this that many Gentiles will come from all over the world, from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the kingdom of heaven.

But many Israelites, those for whom the kingdom was prepared, will be thrown into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Then Jesus said to the Roman officer, Go back home, because you believed it has happened.

And the young servant was healed that same hour.

When Jesus arrived at Peter's house, Peter's mother-in-law was sick in bed with a high fever.

But when Jesus touched her hand, the fever left her, and then she got up and prepared a meal for him.

That evening many demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus.

He cast out the evil spirits with a simple command and he healed all the sick.

This fulfilled the word of the Lord throughout the prophet through the prophet Isaiah, who said, He took our sickness and removed our diseases.

And when Jesus saw the crowd around him, he instructed his disciples to cross to the other side of the lake.

And then one of the teachers of religious law said to him, Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.

But Jesus replied, Foxes have dens to live in and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.

Another of his disciples said, Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.

But Jesus told him, Follow me now and let the spiritually dead bury their own dead.

And then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples.

Suddenly a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat, but Jesus was sleeping.

The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, Lord, save us! We're going to drown.

And Jesus responded, Why are you so afraid?

Have you so little faith?

And then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm.

The disciples were amazed.

Who is this man?

They asked.

Even the winds and waves obey him.

And when Jesus arrived on the other side of the lake in the region of the Gadderenes, two men who were possessed by demons met him.

They came out of the tombs and were so violent that no one could go through that area.

They began screaming at him, Why are you interfering with us, Son of God?

Have you come here to torture us before God's appointed time?

There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding in the distance, so the demons begged, If you cast us out, send us into that herd of pigs.

Alright, go, Jesus commanded them.

And so the demons came out of the men and entered the pigs, and the whole herd plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned in the water.

The herdsmen fled to the nearby town, telling everyone what happened to the demon-possessed men.

And then the entire town came out to meet Jesus, but they begged him to go away and leave them alone.

This is the word of the Lord.

Meditate on it, consider what God might be trying to say to you this morning.

What is it about this passage that stands out to you?

How does this verse make you feel this morning?

What do you think God might be trying to say to you through this?

And maybe just take a couple of minutes and write a short reflection on what God might be trying to say to you.

Next, we turn our focus outward and think how we might practically be able to live this out in response to what God is saying.

And so maybe spend the next few minutes asking the Holy Spirit for wisdom and direction on how you can directly apply what He is saying to you to your life today.

Finally, we'll close with devotees.

Maybe just spend a few moments writing out a simple prayer in response to God this morning.

Remember to come back tomorrow as we continue working through the Gospel of Matthew, and I pray that the Lord fills you with hope, joy, and peace as you commit your day to him.