Matthew 12:33-42

Week 6 Memory Verse

 

"A good man out of the good treasure of his heart

brings forth good things,

and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings

forth evil things. 

But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak,

they will give account of it in the day of judgment. 

For by your words you will be justified,

and by your words you will be condemned.”

 

Matthew 12:35-37

 

 

READ MATTHEW 12:33-42!

 

In these scriptures there are 3 main points that stand out to me.

 

#1. In the state of Washington, you can drive by a group of trees and take a look at them.

They will be covered with beautiful apples.

Hmmm…. That must be an apple tree.

In the state of Florida, you can drive by trees and they are covered with oranges.

Must be an orange tree.

I think you get the point. “A tree is known by its fruit”.

So are we.

The Lord brings this point home as He tells us that your fruit is either good, or bad. (Notice it is one or the other. No middle ground here.)

I like to refer to it as either good, or “Stinky fruit”.

There are times my fruit stinks.

And just about every time, it is when the second point comes about.

 

#2. One thing you will find about everyone is this.

What is “Really in their heart…… comes out of their mouth”.

“Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh”.

It’s really quite simple, what’s inside…. Comes outside.

Want to know what’s in my heart, listen to my big mouth. Hmmm…. Sometimes that fruit doesn’t smell so good. But at this point, I am thankful for the Holy Spirit which pokes me in the ribs and tells me, “that fruit is a little smelly there bub!”

 

Which bring us to the 3^rd point.

 

#3. “Every idle word”.

We are accountable for every word. Oh my gosh… am I in trouble!

I am just so thankful that when I stand before God, that when He looks at me, He is going to see the cleansing blood of His Son Jesus! The blood that washes away all my sins.

This does not give me a right to sin, and I believe we will have to be accountable.

I just want the Lord to be proud of me.

He gave it all for me.

What have I given to Him?   

 

There was a flight attendant on an airplane that had been scolded by her captain. The gate agent had said that a passenger had complained about her treatment of him. When the captain told the story, it was “Lots of people have complained”. This made her very upset, and as she was trying to make her announcements, she began to cry.  She hid her face for a while, but managed to get through what she needed to do. After the plane was in flight and the seatbelt sign was turned off, a man approached her and said, “Lady, are you ok?” She began to tell her story and she was very upset that she was lied about. And lied too. The man said to her, “Lady, Jesus loves you, and He cares about all the things in your life. He will take care of all things if you let Him.” She looked up and said that she was a Christian and thanked the man for reminding her of that. Her sadness was now turning more toward joy. The man told her that he knew that God was watching over her and said, “I know this for sure, after all, He had me change my flight so I could be here to tell you so”.

 

In this true example, we can see the three points of our scripture’s.

Good fruit…. And Stinky.

The abundance of the heart, good and bad.

Every idle word.

And every good one. 

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: BRO.KEN ROSE is the husband to Mrs. Etta, father to 2 sons, and grandfather to 6. They attend Freedom Fellowship in Silsbee, Texas where Bro. Ken serves as Executive Pastor, and Mrs. Etta assists him in that task and is Director of Intercessors.  Bro. Ken travels frequently and uses every opportunity to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Matthew 12:31-32

Week 6 Memory Verse

 

"A good man out of the good treasure of his heart

brings forth good things,

and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings

forth evil things. 

But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak,

they will give account of it in the day of judgment. 

For by your words you will be justified,

and by your words you will be condemned.”

 

Matthew 12:35-37

 

 

Matthew 12:31-32 (Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost)
 

Matthew 12:31-32 (NKJV) ³¹ “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the (Holy)Spirit will not be forgiven men. ³² Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.

This is a most difficult and frightening scripture.  (And we should have Godly fear regarding forgiveness of sin.  The consequences of not being forgiven are awful and eternal!)  We must look at the preceding scriptures to see the context of Jesus statement.  A man who was blind and couldn't speak because he was possessed with a demon had been brought to Jesus.  Jesus cast out the demon, healing the man of his blind and dumb condition.  The Pharisees promptly accused Jesus of receiving his power to heal from Beelzebub, the prince of devils.  Jesus then gave a lengthy discourse concerning good and evil in which he made the statements which we are discussing concerning blasphemy. 

God is willing to forgive any sin which is confessed to him.  The Apostle Paul states that he was a blasphemer who was forgiven by God. 1 Timothy 1:12-15 (NKJV)

¹² And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, ¹³ although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. ¹⁴ And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. ¹⁵ This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.

There are many examples of blasphemy against Jesus. Peter denied him, John 18:25-27.  Paul was a blasphemer before his conversion.  Jesus was blasphemed at his crucifixion both by those who crucified him and by those who stood and jeered.  All these blasphemies were forgiven if the blasphemer confessed it as sin and repented of the sin.

 

The difference between the Apostle Paul, who was a blasphemer, and the Pharisees, who also blasphemed through their unbelief, was in their response when they were confronted face to face with Jesus.  Paul was confronted with Jesus in a supernatural way on the road to Damascus when Jesus appeared to him.  His response was submission. He said, "Who are you, Lord?"  Acts 9:1-5.  (He too was a Pharisee, Acts 23:6) On the other hand the Pharisees were confronted with Jesus as he walked the roads of Israel.  They witnessed his mighty works of healing and deliverance and they heard his sermons about the kingdom of God yet they rejected him and attributed his mighty works to Satan.  If they maintained their rejection unto their deaths, this is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.  Sadly, because of the hardness of their hearts this was most likely the case. 

I believe that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is the resistance to the wooing and conviction of the Holy Spirit which leads to trust in Jesus Christ for remission of sins. 

 

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  JULIA KILPATRICK is the wife of 45 years to Bro. Shannon Kilpatrick, mother to 7 adult children, and grandmother of 23 grandchildren.  Bro. Shannon and Mrs. Julia have been pastoring Freedom Fellowship in Silsbee, Texas since 1995.

Matthew 12:15-30

 

Week 6 Memory Verse

 

"A good man out of the good treasure of his heart

brings forth good things,

and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings

forth evil things. 

But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak,

they will give account of it in the day of judgment. 

For by your words you will be justified,

and by your words you will be condemned.”

 

Matthew 12:35-37



 

READ Matthew 12:15-30!

 

Jesus assures us in this passage that division can only bring downfall. There are so many areas of our life that require unity. I started thinking about how destructive division could be in a troop of soldiers. Lives would be lost if even one soldier didn’t have the same agenda as the others. Soldiers can’t wander the battlefield blindly. This lead me to think: "What makes a good soldier?" and "What are some things that are required in his heart/mind?"  Here is what I came up with:

 

WILLING TO FIGHT (eager)

Your troops will be willing on your day of battle. Arrayed in holy splendor, your young men will come to you like dew from the morning’s womb.

~Psalm 110:3

 

WILLING TO TAKE ORDERS (humble)

Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

~Hebrews 13:17

 

BELIEVES IN WHAT HE IS FIGHTING FOR (passionate)

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

~Galatians 2:20

 

FULLY ARMED (ready)

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.

~Ephesians 6:10-18

 

HAS HIS FELLOW SOLDIER’S BACK (committed)

As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

~Galatians 6:10

 

 

Unity is a necessity for spiritual battle. Unity keeps peace. Unity brings strength. Unity conquers the enemy. And unity is pleasing to the Lord.

 

 

 

TIME OF REFLECTION:

Can you think of something that makes a great soldier? Write it down in your journal today and try to find a corresponding scripture.

 

Battle is not for the faint of heart. Do you have the heart of a warrior or is your heart divided? Take time to pray today. Ask the Lord to reveal your weaknesses, give you strength for the battle, and unity to serve in the exact place He has you (because He has put you there for a purpose).

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: NAOMI CHANCE is the wife of 16 years to Dale, and homeschooling mom to three children.  She serves as Ladies' Ministries Director and in the Media Department at Freedom Fellowship in Silsbee, Texas, where her whole family is very active!

 

 

If you are enjoying Matthew: The King and The Kingdom, please take a minute and share the link to this Bible Study by Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or by email using the icons below and invite your friends and family to study along with us!  Thank you!



Matthew 12:1-14

Week 6 Memory Verse

 

"A good man out of the good treasure of his heart

brings forth good things,

and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings

forth evil things. 

But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak,

they will give account of it in the day of judgment. 

For by your words you will be justified,

and by your words you will be condemned.”

 

Matthew 12:35-37

 

 

READ MATTHEW 12:1-14!

 

Keep the Sabbath Day holy!  It's the fourth the commandment.  During Jesus' day, the Pharisees had added to the original laws of the holy day, creating a religious day (somewhat bypassing the HOLY part) by forcing their man made traditions onto the Jews.  The true character of the Sabbath Day had long been gone. 

 

From this passage we can know that Jesus allows all works of necessity and good to be done on the Sabbath.  He justified the Disciples for plucking ears of corn because they "were hungry" and in NEED of food.  I have heard people teach that it is against God's Word for men to work on the Sabbath.  Well, I believe this passage alone would contradict that teaching.  It is necessity for their family to have food, clothing, and shelter that their work provides.  Jesus also permitted a sick man to be healed on the Sabbath.  This man was in pain and suffering from a disease.  In this case, Jesus did not see that it was breaking a commandment, because as we know He knew no sin (2 Cor. 5:21), to give relief and comfort to this man.  We should never rest from doing good.  People who teach that doing anything other than sitting home reading the Bible and praying on the Sabbath is a sin, apparently overlooked Jesus' teaching in this passage. : )  

 

I love that when Jesus was tempted or questioned He always answered with scripture or Biblical history.  When charged with breaking the law, Jesus reminded the Pharisees of how David and his men ate the showbread out of the tabernacle when they were hungry.  He reminded them of how the priests were required to labor on the Sabbath by preparing and sacrificing animal offerings.  Jesus reminded the Pharisees how any one of them would even help a sheep help out of a pit and not allow it to suffer and die on the Sabbath Day.

 

The most important thing we can learn from this passage is this principle.  No ordinance or law of God would require us to neglect charity, love, or doing good for others.  If it does, it is not just an ordinance of God, BUT A TRADITION OF MAN!  "I will have MERCY not sacrifice."  God’s great love and mercy is at the heart of the law.  It was given to benefit humanity.  What really matters to Jesus is not the strict observance of the law, but the needs and salvation of people.

 

The last thing I want to note, is the last verse.  Defeated and silenced by Jesus, the Pharisees "went out, and conspired against him, how they might destroy him."   

 

 

TIME OF REFLECTION:

Jesus uses Hosea 6:6, "I desire mercy, not sacrifice" a few times while addressing the Pharisees.  Can you find any of those instances?  Write down the scripture reference(s) in your journal!

 

 

 



If you are enjoying Matthew: The King and The Kingdom, please take a minute and share the link to this Bible Study by Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or by email using the icons below and invite your friends and family to study along with us!  Thank you!

Matthew 11:20-30

Good morning!  It is another late posting and I am sorry about that.  Apparently, Blogger is having some glitches.  I have had this saved for some time now, but when I got up to post it, it was just gone...vanished into thin air! LOL!  So, I had to layout the whole post again.  Which was good for me because I needed to read this again!  I hope y'all have a great week and enjoy week 6 of Matthew: The King and The Kingdom!  LOVE, Tera ☺

 

Week 6 Memory Verse

 

"A good man out of the good treasure of his heart

brings forth good things,

and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings

forth evil things. 

But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak,

they will give account of it in the day of judgment. 

For by your words you will be justified,

and by your words you will be condemned.”

 

Matthew 12:35-37



READ Matthew 11:20-30 NKJV or NLT!

 

Today's selection of scripture covers a few areas. I am focusing on the ending verses, but quickly want to touch on the beginning verses.

Verses 20-24

Can we just say, "Wow!"  I would Not want to be on the receiving end of Jesus comments in these verses. There is harsh judgment for these cities refusing to repent, even though they had seen and experienced the miracles of Jesus themselves.

Pray earnestly for our cities/NATION that we not fall deeper into such a place. After all, this is what our Savior did. . . HE prayed. Verses 25-27

Here are my focus verses today.

Verses 28-30

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

How stubborn we can be sometimes!  Just like those rebellious cities, we can try to hold on to things that we don't need in our lives or to circumstances which we have absolutely No control over.

Jesus message here is simple and straightforward. It is simply,

"Come to me!"

He is gently coaxing us to let go of all the things in our daily lives that are weighing us down and are burdensome to our hearts. He will, in turn, make our burden light. And in Him,  we will find REST for our weariness.

Not only do we lay these things down, but if you'll look closely,  after we are to take up His yoke,

He tells us, "Let me teach you."

He will teach us to not let these burdens and heartache overwhelm us, if we are willing to listen to guidance and Wisdom.

 

He wants us to be childlike. With a burning desire to be taught, always wanting to know more from the One who has brought us life. And not just life, but the strength and wisdom and His love to make it through even the toughest storm we may face.

Come to Jesus today. Lay your burdens at His feet. Allow Him to teach you to Trust Him to give you a lighter burden. And there in His presence you Will find...

REST!

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: JOSIE MATHIS is wife of 11 years to Bro. Michael.  She is the homeschooling aunt to two of her nieces and has been faithfully working in Children and Youth ministries for over 15 years.  Together, Bro. Michael and Josie serve as Jr. High Youth Pastors at Freedom Fellowship in Silsbee, Texas.  Josie also sings on the Praise Team and is an active member of F.F.H.S.C.