Theme: " A Portrait of the King "
Title: " The King's Itinerant Ministry Chronicled "
Text: Matthew Chapters 8 - 25
INTRO: *** Chapter 16 ***
I. The King's Blind Critics Test Him.
16:1
A. The Pharisees were Blind Men if they Hadn't
Recognized the Many Signs they had Already
Witnessed .
Matthew 15:12-14 c/f Matthew 14:34-36 & 15:29-31
B. They were Blind Because they CHOSE to be Blind.
Matthew 13:10-17
*** A Man who Will Not See is a Man who Can Not See !
C. A Man who Wills to See Because he is Willing to Do
God's Will , but he Doesn't Want to be Led Astray by
False Teaching, Will See & Know the True Doctrine of
God .
John 7:17
D. Knowing God & What He Wants Us to Do in Our Lives is
Always a Matter of the Heart !
Jeremiah 29:13
E. There is No-one So Blind as the Man who Will Not
See.
F. A Man Convinced Against his Will is of the Same
Opinion Still.
G. God Never has a Problem with a Man's Head !!! The
The Problem Always Resides in a Man's Heart !!!
II. The King's Response to His Blind Critics' Request
16:2-4
A. His Verbal Response
Verses 2-4c
1. He Appeals to their Ability to See & Recognize the
Signs of Other Things in Life.
Verses 2-3a
2. He Points Out that their Ability to Draw Conclusions
from the Signs they had Observed in Other Areas of
Life was Not Faulty .
Verses 2-3a
3. He Charges them with Hypocrisy for Pretending to
be Unable to Recognize & Discern the Signs of
the Times in which they were Living.
Verse 3b
*** I often Marvel at People's Abilities to See & Recognize the
Signs of Spiritual Hyppocrisy in the Lives of Others while at
the Same Time Appearing to be Blind to the Areas of their
Own Life that are Openly Inconsistent with their Professed
Subjection to Jesus Christ. ***
4. He Charges them with Wickedness & Spiritual Adul-
tery .
Verse 4a c/f James 4:4 & I John 2:15-17
*** When We Have More Love & Friendship Toward
the Things of this World than We Have Toward
God , We Too are Guilty of Harboring a Spiritually
Adulterous Heart.
5. He Condemns what we might Refer to as a Sign -
Seeker Mentality.
Verse 4b
6. He Flatly Refuses their Request & Refers to the
One Last Sign that the " Sign - Seeker " Mentality
would be Given : Ultimately, His Death, Burial, &
Resurrection.
Verse 4c
a. There are Many People in Our Generation Today
who are " Sign - Seekers."
b. The Bible Talks about How Satan will Deceive Men
through " Signs & Lying Wonders."
II Thessalonians 2:8-10
c. I Wonder How Many People are Being Deceived
Today by False Prophets, False Signs, & Doctrines
of Demons.
B. His Physical Response
Verse 4d -- He Walked Away !!!
1. Jesus Christ Will Not Give Men What they are Clamor-
ing for , Just Because they Demand it.
2. Men Must Learn to Acknowledge Who is Lord & Bow
Before Him, because God Will Never Bow to the Car-
nal Demands of Men.
3. If We Want Christ to Leave Our Midst, All We Have to
Do as a Church is Demand to Have Things Our Way &
Refuse to Acknowledge What He Has Already Shown
Us.
III. The King's Warning Concerning the Pharisees
16:5-12 c/f Luke 12:1-2
A. The Setting of the Warning
Verse 5
B. The Warning Given
Verse 6
C. The Disciples' Dull Reasoning
Verse 7
D. The Master's Gentle Scolding & Instruction
Verses 8-11
E. The Disciples' Understanding of the Master's
Message
Verse 12 c/f Luke 12:1
IV. The King's Questions Regarding His Identity
16:13-20
A. His Question of Who Men in General thought He Was
Verse 13
B. The Disciples' Reply
Verse 14
C. His Question of Who His Disciples thought He Was
Verse 15
D. Peter's Bold & Inciteful Reply
Verse 16
E. The Master's Blessing Pronounced & Instructions
Given
Verses 17-20
V. The King's Dark Prediction & Confrontation
16:21-23
A. He Prophesies that He Must Die .
Verse 21
B. His Confrontation with Satan through the Person of
Peter
Verses 22-23
VI. The King's Call to Glory through a Death to Self
16:24-27
A. True Discipleship Requires Self Denial .
Verse 24
B. Self Preservation Means Self Destruction , but Self
Denial Means Discovering what Life is All About ( what
Really Living is All About ).
Verse 25
C. The Value & Exchange of a Human Soul
Verse 26
D. The Promise of Reward that Those who Take Up His
Cross will Share in His Glory
Verse 27 c/f Verse 24
VII. The King's Prophesied Confirmation of the Glory of
His Kingdom
16:28 c/f 17:1-8
A. Not Everyone will Experience the Same Level of Reve-
lation & Confirmation from God in this Life .
*** Only Peter, James, & John Got to Experience the Wonder
of Seeing Christ Transfigured in this Life.
B. Nevertheless, God is Sovereign, & He has the Right to
Measure Out His Blessings as He Sees Fit .
C. It is Not Man's Prerogative ( Right or Priviledge ) to
Complain & Find Fault Over the Choices He Makes in
that Regard.