Matthew 9:32–34
32As they were going out, a mute, demon-possessed man was brought to Him. 33After the demon was cast out, the mute man spoke; and the crowds were amazed, and were saying, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.” 34But the Pharisees were saying, “He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.”
Focused Thinking:
How misunderstood is a mute, demon-possessed man?
How frustrating to be tormented and unable to ask for help?
Who were the people who CARED ENOUGH to bring him to Jesus?
Who were the people who DARED to bring him to Jesus?
“After the demon was cast out, the mute man spoke; and the crowds were amazed, and were saying, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.”
The POWER of God hasn’t diminished today; people still need to be AMAZED.
The LOVE of God hasn’t diminished today; people still need to be AMAZED.
Personal Application:
We must FOCUS on the basics: Love God, Love People, Make Disciples.
We must INSPIRE people to Love God.
We must INSTRUCT people to Love People.
We must INVOLVE people to Make Disciples.
- We must give people SPECIFIC WAYS to Love God, Love People, and Make Disciples.
- We must do LESS in order to do MORE.
We are in a catch 22 situation; how do people experience the love of God?
We experience the love God through the people of God; therefore, we need people who love God loving people.
- The more our people love God, the more they will love people.
- The more our people love people, the more they will make disciples.
- The more our people make disciples, the more people will be amazed.
- The more people are amazed, the more they will say, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in MEMPHIS.”
We must FIGHT for CLARITY.
We must FIGHT for SIMPLICITY.
We must FIGHT for FOCUS.
Focused Thinking:
34But the Pharisees were saying, “He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.”
There will always be skeptics.
Where there are skeptics, there are critics.
- Most skeptics are critics.
- Most skeptics don’t want to believe.
- Most skeptics have something to lose if they believe.
Interactive Prayer:
Father, I sense the message is loud and clear. We can’t fight a war with ten objectives and ten strategies. We must have one vision, one goal and one strategy and commit everything to it. Father, give us the wisdom to cast both a figurative and literal vision. Give us Your vision. Father, I don’t want my ideas. I want to cast Your vision. I don’t have confidence in my vision, but I do have confidence in Your vision. Father, help me be the leader, the vision-caster and the teacher You desire me to be. Father, anoint me for Your purposes. Give me the ability to lead this church to accomplish Your vision for this city and to influence this country and to touch this world.
Father, give me ability to see things from Your perspective. Give me the ability the problems from Your perspective, knowing that we have the love, the power and the resources to solve the problems. Father, give me faith to be strong and courageous. Father, show me the specific problems You want us to solve. Father, give us the leaders we need on staff, the leaders we need on the trustee team the leaders we need throughout the church. Father, raise up leaders for such a time as this. Father, I pray that You will do exceedingly abundantly beyond all that we can ask or think this fall. Fill our people’s hearts to love You, to love others and to make disciples. Father, give us a passion to reach people as if it were our children who were missing. Father, give us the people to see, understand and experience Your joy when one sinner repents.
Father, make us a church that is passionate about prodigals whether they be the younger brother or the elder brother. Father, I pray that the people who trust Christ will have the courage to “go public” with their faith. Father, help us make the response time as clear and concise as possible. Father, give us the ability to solve our internal problems and to remove as many barriers as possible and make it as clear and simple as possible for people to follow You as their Lord and Savior.
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