The Epic Life - Bob Hallman

Matthew 13:1-23 - A Sower, His Seeds and the Soils - Part 1

Introduction
Summary of Israel’s leaders’ response to the gospel in Matthew 11-12:
Refused to accept the testimony about Christ:  John the Baptist, The Father (at Jesus’ baptism), The OT prophesies, Christ Himself, The Holy Spirit’s authenticating miracles
Rejected Jesus Christ as the Messiah!
Committed the unpardonable sin – Matt 12:31-32
Defined: “The unpardonable sin is the national rejection by Israel of the Messiahship of Yeshua, while he was present on earth, on the basis of His being demon possessed.”
These events set the stage for a marked transition in Jesus’ ministry:
He taught using parables – explaining them only to the disciples
He spent more time teaching outside the synagogue
He appealed for a greater degree of secrecy:
“Don’t tell anyone what I have done for you”
“Don’t spread the news about the miracles”
(2013)
May God bless you through this message! 
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Matthew 12:38-50 - True Ohana (Family)

Introduction
Last week we left off in Matthew 12:23-37 with Jesus announcing that the Jewish leaders had committed the unpardonable sin, which we defined as:
“The national rejection by Israel of the Messiahship of Yeshua, while he was present on earth, on the basis of His being demon possessed.”
Instead of being broken and contrite over this damning statement, the Pharisees, after quickly deliberating together, asked Jesus for another authenticating sign!
The request for another sign – after Jesus had already given dozens of miraculous, divine, prophecy-fulfilling signs of His Messiahship, was little more than a pretence by ungodly, hard-hearted, rebellious men who were fully committed to rejecting Jesus – no matter what!  (2013)
May God bless you through this message! 
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Matthew 12:22-37 - The Fruit of a Man's Life - Part 2

Review: A King, a Kingdom and a citizenry.  Matthew presents the testimony of:
John the Baptist
The Father (at Jesus’ baptism)
The OT prophecies
Christ Himself
The Holy Spirit’s authenticating miracles
All these were rejected by the spiritual leaders of Israel!
I  The Remarkable Healing
A man was brought to Jesus on the Sabbath: [Verse 22a]
He was demon-possessed
He was blind
He was mute = Kophos = “Deaf and dumb”
Now the act of casting out demons was itself not all that unusual in that day and age. Even the Pharisees, and the Rabbis, and their disciples were practicing the casting out of demons. But the Pharisees carried out a ritual that had three basic steps:
First of all he would have to establish communication with the demon. When the demon speaks he uses the vocal chords of the person he controls.
Secondly, after establishing communication with the demon he would have to find out the demon’s name.
Thirdly, once he knew what the demon’s name was he could use the name to command the demon to go out.
These were the three steps of the ancient Jewish procedure.  On another occasion, in Mark 5, Jesus used the standard Jewish approach. He asked the demon, “What is your name?” and the answer was, “My name is Legion”. Because of this three step procedure there was one kind of demon they could do nothing about: the kind of demon that caused the person controlled to be a mute so he could not speak.  And because the person could not speak, there was no way of establishing communication with this kind of a demon, no way of finding out the demon’s name, and so in the framework of Judaism it was reckoned impossible to cast this kind of a demon out. But the common teaching was that whenever the Messiah comes he will cast out dumb demons.
When demons possess people, they manifest physically in a variety of ways:
Demons make people mute (Matt. 9:32), deaf (Mark 9:25), or blind (Matt. 12:22).
Demons can make some people lunatics (Matt. 17:5) who scream constantly (Mark 5:5), cutting themselves (Mark 5:5) and tearing off their clothes (Mark 5:15).
They attack the bodies they are in, seizing them (Luke 8:29) with convulsions (Mark 1:26), slamming their bodies down onto the ground (Luke 9:42), or sometimes into painful or dangerous places like fire and water (Matt. 17:15)
The demon-possessed turn on other people, becoming violent (Matt. 8:28) and attacking innocent bystanders (Acts 19:16). This is exceptionally dangerous, since the demons are able to give them superhuman strength to do things like break chains (Mark 5:4).
And if all this isn’t bad enough, some people have multiple demons living inside of them (Matt. 12:45, Luke 8:30).  (2013)
May God bless you through this message! 
You can support this ministry: Donate
The Epic Lifehttps://www.theepiclife.org https://www.facebook.com/livetheepiclife https://www.instagram.com/Living_The_Epic_Life

Matthew 12:22-37 - The Fruit of a Man's Life - Part 1

Review: A King, a Kingdom and a citizenry.  Matthew presents the testimony of:
John the Baptist
The Father (at Jesus’ baptism)
The OT prophecies
Christ Himself
The Holy Spirit’s authenticating miracles
All these were rejected by the spiritual leaders of Israel!
I  The Remarkable Healing
A man was brought to Jesus on the Sabbath: [Verse 22a]
He was demon-possessed
He was blind
He was mute = Kophos = “Deaf and dumb”
Now the act of casting out demons was itself not all that unusual in that day and age. Even the Pharisees, and the Rabbis, and their disciples were practicing the casting out of demons. But the Pharisees carried out a ritual that had three basic steps:
First of all he would have to establish communication with the demon. When the demon speaks he uses the vocal chords of the person he controls.
Secondly, after establishing communication with the demon he would have to find out the demon’s name.
Thirdly, once he knew what the demon’s name was he could use the name to command the demon to go out.
These were the three steps of the ancient Jewish procedure.  On another occasion, in Mark 5, Jesus used the standard Jewish approach. He asked the demon, “What is your name?” and the answer was, “My name is Legion”. Because of this three step procedure there was one kind of demon they could do nothing about: the kind of demon that caused the person controlled to be a mute so he could not speak.  And because the person could not speak, there was no way of establishing communication with this kind of a demon, no way of finding out the demon’s name, and so in the framework of Judaism it was reckoned impossible to cast this kind of a demon out. But the common teaching was that whenever the Messiah comes he will cast out dumb demons.
When demons possess people, they manifest physically in a variety of ways:
Demons make people mute (Matt. 9:32), deaf (Mark 9:25), or blind (Matt. 12:22).
Demons can make some people lunatics (Matt. 17:5) who scream constantly (Mark 5:5), cutting themselves (Mark 5:5) and tearing off their clothes (Mark 5:15).
They attack the bodies they are in, seizing them (Luke 8:29) with convulsions (Mark 1:26), slamming their bodies down onto the ground (Luke 9:42), or sometimes into painful or dangerous places like fire and water (Matt. 17:15)
The demon-possessed turn on other people, becoming violent (Matt. 8:28) and attacking innocent bystanders (Acts 19:16). This is exceptionally dangerous, since the demons are able to give them superhuman strength to do things like break chains (Mark 5:4).
And if all this isn’t bad enough, some people have multiple demons living inside of them (Matt. 12:45, Luke 8:30).  (2013)
May God bless you through this message! 
You can support this ministry: Donate
The Epic Lifehttps://www.theepiclife.org https://www.facebook.com/livetheepiclife https://www.instagram.com/Living_The_Epic_Life

Matthew 12:1-21 - Exhausted or Exhilarated - Part 2

Introduction
What we have here is the invitation of two very different gospels:
The gospel of Jesus Christ!
Matt 11:28-30  “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
The gospel of Israel’s religious leaders
Matt 11:28-30  “Come to us, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and we will increase your anxiety, guilt, shame, discouragement and sense of despair.  Take our yoke upon you and learn from us, for we are demanding and haughty of heart, and you will experience spiritual exhaustion and defeat for your souls.  For our yoke is harsh and our burden is overwhelmingly oppressive."
Depending on which Gospel you believe, you will either be:
Exhausted:
Physical, emotionally or spiritually fatigued
Drained of energy and effectiveness
Completely used up or depleted
Often accompanied by feeling of discouragement and depression
Exhilarated:
To make cheerful, to refresh, to excite or to energize
To invigorate, stimulate, excite
Accompanied by feelings of euphoria, joy and strength
 As you may recall, Matthew is presenting his Jewish readers with Good News:
A new King – Jesus Christ!
A new citizenry – believers in Jesus Christ!
A new kingdom – a new heaven and earth – Rev 21
But in Matthew 9, it becomes apparent that Israel’s religious leaders aren’t responding well to Jesus’ call to repentance from sin – a non-negotiable requirement to experiencing this new life!  So they go on the attack! 
In chapter 10, Jesus warns His disciples that they will be persecuted by these same leaders and, in chapter 11, these shepherds of Israel begin to openly reject the ministry and message of Jesus Christ!
And now, in chapter 12, we find these men have gone beyond irritation and are now filled with rage, fury, anger, and hatred!  In many ways, this chapter is a turning point; the mounting, growing unbelief of Israel crystallizes in this chapter and will, ultimately, find its climax in the crucifixion of Christ!
May God bless you through this message! 
You can support this ministry: Donate
The Epic Lifehttps://www.theepiclife.org https://www.facebook.com/livetheepiclife https://www.instagram.com/Living_The_Epic_Life

Matthew 12:1-21 - Exhausted or Exhiliarated - Part 1

Introduction
What we have here is the invitation of two very different gospels:
The gospel of Jesus Christ!
Matt 11:28-30  “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
The gospel of Israel’s religious leaders
Matt 11:28-30  “Come to us, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and we will increase your anxiety, guilt, shame, discouragement and sense of despair.  Take our yoke upon you and learn from us, for we are demanding and haughty of heart, and you will experience spiritual exhaustion and defeat for your souls.  For our yoke is harsh and our burden is overwhelmingly oppressive."
Depending on which Gospel you believe, you will either be:
Exhausted:
Physical, emotionally or spiritually fatigued
Drained of energy and effectiveness
Completely used up or depleted
Often accompanied by feeling of discouragement and depression
Exhilarated:
To make cheerful, to refresh, to excite or to energize
To invigorate, stimulate, excite
Accompanied by feelings of euphoria, joy and strength
 As you may recall, Matthew is presenting his Jewish readers with Good News:
A new King – Jesus Christ!
A new citizenry – believers in Jesus Christ!
A new kingdom – a new heaven and earth – Rev 21
But in Matthew 9, it becomes apparent that Israel’s religious leaders aren’t responding well to Jesus’ call to repentance from sin – a non-negotiable requirement to experiencing this new life!  So they go on the attack! 
In chapter 10, Jesus warns His disciples that they will be persecuted by these same leaders and, in chapter 11, these shepherds of Israel begin to openly reject the ministry and message of Jesus Christ!
And now, in chapter 12, we find these men have gone beyond irritation and are now filled with rage, fury, anger, and hatred!  In many ways, this chapter is a turning point; the mounting, growing unbelief of Israel crystallizes in this chapter and will, ultimately, find its climax in the crucifixion of Christ! (2013)
May God bless you through this message! 
You can support this ministry: Donate
The Epic Lifehttps://www.theepiclife.org https://www.facebook.com/livetheepiclife https://www.instagram.com/Living_The_Epic_Life

Matthew 11:16-30 - Rebuke or Rest? Part 2

Introduction
A look back on what we’ve learned from Matthew:
A king: Jesus Christ, the attested promised Messiah
A realm: The new heaven and new earth
A citizenry: Men and women submit to Jesus as their King
What’s at stake?  Rebuke or rest!
Most people are physically, emotionally and spiritually weary. As Thoreau said, they “lead lives of quiet desperation”!
In contrast, Jesus offers abundant life (Jn 10:10) and eternal life (Jn 3:16)!
May God bless you through this message! 
You can support this ministry: Donate
The Epic Lifehttps://www.theepiclife.org https://www.facebook.com/livetheepiclife https://www.instagram.com/Living_The_Epic_Life

Matthew 11:16-30 - Rebuke or Rest? - Part 1

Introduction
A look back on what we’ve learned from Matthew:
A king: Jesus Christ, the attested promised Messiah
A realm: The new heaven and new earth
A citizenry: Men and women submit to Jesus as their King
What’s at stake?  Rebuke or rest!
Most people are physically, emotionally and spiritually weary. As Thoreau said, they “lead lives of quiet desperation”!
In contrast, Jesus offers abundant life (Jn 10:10) and eternal life (Jn 3:16)!  (2013)
May God bless you through this message! 
You can support this ministry: Donate
The Epic Lifehttps://www.theepiclife.org https://www.facebook.com/livetheepiclife https://www.instagram.com/Living_The_Epic_Life

Matthew 11:1-15 - Dealing with Doubts - Part 2

Introduction
If you’ve never struggled with doubt, you’re not human! Truth be told, we all struggle from time with time with doubt!
Some doubts have little to no impact on our lives: For instance, …
When dog food is new and improved tasting, who tests it?
If the "black box" flight recorder is never damaged during a plane crash, why isn't the whole airplane made out of that stuff?
Why do people say, "you've been working like a dog" when dogs just sit around all day?
On the other hand, there are doubts that can have a significant impact on our self-image, the choices we make, our treatment of others, the priorities we set, the values and beliefs that rule us and the eternal outcome of our lives!
Such is the case in our text today!
May God bless you through this message! 
You can support this ministry: Donate
The Epic Lifehttps://www.theepiclife.org https://www.facebook.com/livetheepiclife https://www.instagram.com/Living_The_Epic_Life

Matthew 11:1-15 - Dealing with Doubts - Part 1

Introduction
If you’ve never struggled with doubt, you’re not human! Truth be told, we all struggle from time with time with doubt!
Some doubts have little to no impact on our lives: For instance, …
When dog food is new and improved tasting, who tests it?
If the "black box" flight recorder is never damaged during a plane crash, why isn't the whole airplane made out of that stuff?
On the other hand, there are doubts that can have a significant impact on our self-image, the choices we make, our treatment of others, the priorities we set, the values and beliefs that rule us and the eternal outcome of our lives!
Such is the case in our text today as we consider the doubts of John the Baptist.  (2013)
May God bless you through this message! 
You can support this ministry: Donate
The Epic Lifehttps://www.theepiclife.org https://www.facebook.com/livetheepiclife https://www.instagram.com/Living_The_Epic_Life