2819 Church - WISDOM & WONDER | No Need For Offense | Matthew 17:24-27 | Philip Anthony Mitchell

Episode Date: January 4, 2025

In the SZN 6 finale of “WISDOM & WONDER,” Philip Anthony Mitchell unpacks a revelatory passage of scripture found in Matthew 17:24-27. Welcome to the official Youtube channel for 2819 Church. This channel features powerful and life-impacting messages from Philip Anthony Mitchell and guest communicators. As you listen to these sound biblical messages you can expect to be challenged, stirred, matured and inspired in your faith and walk with God. For more information about us visit 2819Church.org.

Be seated. Is he warm? Yeah! I love you, baby. Welcome. Come on. All the blessings. All right, all right.

All right. Before we jump into the proclamation of God's word, I just want to take a moment to just celebrate. If you're in the room, if you're in the overflow right now, or if you're watching online and you were here two weeks ago, we want to celebrate the thousand plus men and women who found Jesus. We will go to the back to you. So for those of you who are watching right now, those of you who are sitting in the overflow and are in this room who were baptized at the last time we gathered, we celebrate you.

We know that you left some things in that watery grave and that you are living today a brand new life in the Lord Jesus Christ. And we thank God for you passing through those waters of baptism. I also want to take a moment to just honor all of our staff and our servant leaders who served so faithfully last week. That was the first time we've ever done anything on that scale. We baptized 500 plus people on Saturday morning, another 500 on Sunday morning. And that could not be done without all of the servant leaders and those who sacrificed, who showed up early, set up and break down. So we just shout out to all of our staff and our servant leaders for serving so faithfully.

And then to another group of people who oftentimes does not get honored. Scripture talks about them as having a gift to do this. And some of us have just a gift to do this, and some of us have just a heart to do this. For those who are some of our faithful partners financially, both here, local, and abroad, I want to thank all of you who are sowing into this ministry and supporting the spread of the gospel. I want to thank you for that. I know very often for those of you who attend gatherings, it's easy to come into a gathering and leave a gathering and think that all of this is happening

simply because of prayer or proclamation. But it takes finances to gather every week, to buy equipment, to do everything that we're doing. That baptism we did two weeks ago cost us north of $50,000 to do that baptism. To rent bathroom trucks and gates and bleachers and to give t-shirts to over a thousand people and to host digital disciples from around the country and towels and water and equipment. All the things that we had to do to do ministry at that level

was just south of $60,000 to be able to do that. Without the generosity of all of our financial partners, we would not be able to do ministry at that level. And so for all of you who see the bigger picture, for all of you who are supporting the spread of the gospel, I just want to remind you what the scriptures have taught us. All of that is being accumulated into your heavenly bank account. There is a bank account above our heads that we will come in contact with in eternity. In its fullness and the resources that we sow now into the spread of the gospel, into the harvesting of souls.

All of that is being credited to your heavily banked account. So thank you so much for supporting this ministry financially. And those of you who are digital disciples who do that, we honor you for doing that. And lastly, I want to say this to you before we jump into the proclamation of God's word. King Solomon, in the end of his life, he wrote a journal or a memoir called Ecclesiastes. In Ecclesiastes chapter 3, he lists 28 seasons there. One of those seasons is a time to mourn. The only season that's not there is a time to quit. But one of those 28 seasons is a time to mourn. And

I am in that season right now. On Thursday morning, a man who I love deeply, who was a father to me, he called me a son. More endearment than any man had ever called me a son after my biological father. He went into the hospital for something minor, and he did not make it out that hospital. He slipped into eternity on Thursday morning, and I've been grieving his loss since Thursday morning, all day Thursday, Friday, Saturday. This very morning, I've shed more tears than I can imagine. And this is a very difficult morning for me. And, you know, I was supposed to go see him in the hospital and thinking that he would be out of the hospital like he always

has before. He said to me, son, I'll be home on September 5th. And that was the day he transitioned into glory. He slipped into eternity. And it was very difficult for me because I was feeling guilty that I should have went and saw him and maybe fought to get him out of the hospital. He was in his 90s. Though that maybe if he would have been home,

maybe he could have survived. I don't know. But I don't want to, I don't want to use my pain to make my sorrow everybody else's sorrow, but I don't want my pain to go to waste. And so I just want to say to you through my pain that I just want to encourage those of you, listen to me, to don't give people flowers when they're in a box at a funeral give them their flowers while they are alive the people that God has divinely placed in your life love them well your spouse's love them well your children love them all your friends love

them well the brothers and sisters of God the community love them well for all of the promises that we make to ourselves about what we're going to do next week and next year we don't know if we're going to see next year so i just want to encourage you that that while you are alive hear me i'm i'm letting my pain go go to waste while you are alive make the most of your moments you're at home put the phone down and lean into your children you're sitting at a table spend that time talking to your spouse. Like capitalize on your time you have with human beings that you love. And I want to encourage you just thinking of his life,

that one of the greatest things you will do with your life is add value to the lives of others with no strings attached. Because now that my pop is gone, don't nobody care what house he lived in. Nobody care what car he drive or how many properties he have. The only thing that matters now is the impact he had on lives like mine and the people who loved him. That's the only thing that's going to remain is what we have done for Christ and the lives we have touched while we are here. So add value to the lives of others with no strings attached.

Just keep adding value. Keep loving. Keep pouring into the lives of people and keep loving those who are close to you and be careful about the plans that you have for the future outside of God's will. So if you're a digital disciple disciple if you're sitting in overflow if you're sitting in this room if your guests welcome to 2019 this is our second of three gatherings in Jesus

name This room was completely full to overflow. And our 8 o'clock, I'm shocked at what Jesus is doing. I am overwhelmed. And I am hurting and overwhelmed. I did not expect that this room would be full at 8 o'clock or we would have overflow. And we are thankful that Jesus, not a man, is harvesting souls to himself. I did not expect that this room would be full at 8 o'clock or we would have overflow. And we are thankful that Jesus, not a man, is harvesting souls to himself. And that he is using us as his sword and as his sickle and as his storehouse in these last days as I believe that time is running out.

And we are in a series right now, in the back half of a series called wisdom and wonder we are walking through Matthew chapter 12 through 20 together today we will finish chapter 17 just two more chapters and then this series will come to an end I don't want to presume if you are not a follower of Jesus, you know who Matthew was. Matthew was an outcast Jew who worked for the Roman government in the first century A.D. He was converted to the faith by the Lord Jesus Christ himself, became one of the first followers of Christ, became a martyr for Christ. He died for what he saw and what he believed and what he heard. He wrote the gospel that bears his name, which is the book we're studying together as a church family. And for all of our note takers today,

we will finish Matthew 17. Today will be Matthew chapter 17, verses 24 to 27 together. And these titles for this message, they're not sexy. We pull in titles straight out of the text. We just don't have time for entertainment here. Okay?

So we want to just title this message this. This little small periscope of scripture. No need for offense. No need for offense. Eternal God and ever wise Father, Lord, we thank you, we glorify you, we magnify your holy name in this place we exalt you we exalt your son Lord we feel the wind of eternity blowing against us right now we

know that time is running out we know that there's a clock that has been set that is running backwards until the return of your son. We thank you, Lord, publicly for what you're doing right now in our midst, giving birth to a revival in an ungodly and religious city, calling sons and daughters to yourself, swinging the sword of your word, swinging the sickle of your word, harvesting these souls to the storehouse for yourself. And Father God, we pray right now,

in this moment, you would give strength to your servant and his weakness. You would move on the hearts of your sons and daughters as the word is proclaimed. We pray the truth of the scriptures, the weight of these holy documents would come to bear God on the minds and the hearts and the thoughts of these, your sons and daughters, even the atheists who was listening and watching,

even the unbeliever who was listening and watching God. Let them be moved in their soul. Let them be agitated in their seat as they listen to the proclamation of God's word. They have not crept up in here by accident. And Lord, we pray that we would be transformed all the more, more and more into the image of your son

every time we come together in these final days to hear the proclamation of the word, I feel resistance and I come against it in the name of Jesus. I come against every adversarial force. Satan, the Lord rebuke you. Lord, I pray you release angels, Lord of hosts, Lord of warfare. I pray you release angels, God, to just fly around this room and fly in that overful room and meet those who are watching right now across that camera.

We come against all demonic resistance to the proclamation of the word. We pray like a good seed, it would land on good soil and it would not bounce off, but it would accomplish what it is sent to do. Even right now in this moment, we come against every demonic force. We thank you that the blood, Lord, covers us even right now.

You lie in demonic spirits you have no authority here no authority here so Lord we pray for freedom for proclamation Lord and transformation in the hearts of your people in the mighty and the majestic

and the matchless name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and all of God's people just shout amen. Shout amen. Come on, shout amen. It means so let it be. Hallelujah. No need for offense. Now, family, listen to me. One of the greatest gifts that has been

afforded the believer inside the context of biblical Christianity is this powerful endowment from Christ upon you called freedom. You were once underneath the wrath of God, separated from God, but because of the blood of Jesus Christ has brought you near to the Father. Now you have been set free from the wrath of God Almighty. You were once enslaved to demonic forces and the influence of demonic spirits, but because of the blood of Christ, you have been set free from that influence. You were once followers of lies that you had built up in your brain, but because of the truth of God's word, those strongholds have been torn down, and now you walk in freedom because of the truth of the Lord Jesus. You were once underneath the curse of the law, but because of the perfect

righteousness of Christ, you've been set free from the curse of the law because of the fulfillment of Jesus. And what you and I walk in right now as followers of Christ is an unparalleled freedom that we have as followers of the Lord Jesus. Now, family, listen to me. It is only the immature believer, watch, that flows in that freedom and does not have the wisdom to exercise restraint on that freedom when it causes unnecessary offense to other people. Like, you can drink whatever you want, but if having a drink in front of a new believer would cause them to be offended that wisdom says we exercise restraint on our freedom you can stand on doctrine whenever you want but if you find yourself in a theological argument around a non-essential issue that is drifting towards the offense of that person, then wisdom says

we put restraint on our freedom. You are free from being involved in the practice of false religions, but if offending someone over a non-ethical custom causes that person to be offended, then wisdom says we put restraint on our freedom. That although we have been given unparalleled freedom in the body of Christ, it is only the immature believer that does not know when to exercise wisdom to put a restraint on their freedom. For example, I was in Turkey in January of this year with my boy Recap Gray. Shout out to my brother Recap, who is the pastor of New Creation

Fellowship, one of our partner churches in Orlando, Florida. If you're watching this message right now in Orlando, Florida, let this be the last week you watch as a digital disciple. I want to encourage you to join New Creation Fellowship. Pastor Recap Gray, we're walking through Matthew, they're walking through Genesis, they're partnered with Matthew. They're walking through Genesis. They're partnering with us in the gospel in these last days. No need for you to watch another Sunday. Next Sunday, find yourself a new creation fellowship. Okay?

It's gospel. So my brother Recap and I was in Turkey in January, and we went to go visit a master group. And when we got to the door of the mosque they told everyone you have to take your shoes off you can't go in the mosque with their shoes now I'm free in Christ I could walk where I want to walk with my shoes ain't nobody gonna tell me that I can't wear my shoes anywhere I want because I don't serve your false deity so your carpet means nothing to me. But it's taking off my shoes to go in that mosque.

Do I abandon Jesus doing that? Do I dishonor my Lord taking off my shoes to go in that mosque? No. This is a non-ethical issue. So for the sake of not passing on unnecessary offense to those Islamic men and women I took off my Nikes and I walked on their carpet in my socks they had head ties at the door they said no women can't go in here without their heads covered should we fight to not go in there without head covers no we just since it's a non ethical issue it's not gonna cost me my salvation put on the

head cover and we go inside the mosque. This was an example of me putting a restraint on my freedom for the sake of not giving unnecessary offense to somebody who was ignorant of the truth anyway. Although I do not serve your false deity, I can take off my shoes because me taking off my shoes is a non-essential issue. It's not going to cost me my salvation. It's not worth a theological issue. So I put a restraint on my freedom at that door to walk into that mosque in my socks. You following that? This is the drama at the center of our text this morning. The Lord Jesus is in his early 30s. He's traveling to the north side of the Sea of Galilee with his followers. They would roll into a city where he would set up his base of operation. This would be the last time he would visit this city. Now, I want

you to keep in mind when you read the Bible, there are no chapters and verses and headers in the Bible. So when the writers of the Scriptures who are led by the Spirit are writing these holy texts, they are making arguments and unified thoughts across whole chapters. So I want you reminded that when Matthew is writing this section of Scripture, he started out with the transfiguration of Christ, that the Lord Jesus took on a mountain his three top disciples, Peter, James, and John, and he is transfigured in front of them. That is, he reveals to them that he's more than a rabbi. He's more than a Jew. He is God

in the flesh. They see his glory. Okay? He comes down from that mountain heals a demon possessed man prophesies the resurrection and his death on the cross and then immediately after those events Matthew who is writing with a purpose he records this incident that happened this is the only place recorded in the gospels I think Matthew who was a former tax collector himself saw interest in this small periscope of scripture which for some people they thought was confusing for a lot of people they think this little bit at the back of matthew 17 is not important but i think sitting just underneath the surface of this small periscope are some powerful principles for you and i so matthew records the transfiguration,

records the demon-possessed dude getting set free as the power of Christ over the demonic realm. He records the prophecy of Christ about the crucifixion and resurrection, and then immediately after that prophecy, he records this incident that happened in the first century. Matthew chapter 17, verse 24. When they, that is Jesus and the followers,

Matthew was there that day as an eyewitness, came to Capernaum, the collectors of the two drachma tax went up to Peter and said, does your teacher not pay the tax? And he said to them, yes. Stop. So I want you to notice a couple things in the text.

First, Capernaum. Capernaum is a major city like a New York of sorts on the north shore of Galilee. It was in Capernaum where four friends carried a paralytic man to a meeting where Jesus was teaching in a house, tore open a hole in the roof and dropped him inside the house, and he was healed because of the faith of his friends. Thank God for godly friends. Better pay attention to who's around you so that when you are weak, they should be strong. And when you can't pray, they should know how how to pray and when you don't have faith they should have faith for you take inventory of your circle it was in capernium that the lord healed the servant of a centurion a man who came said jesus my servant is sick

you don't even have to come to my house but just speak the word and my servant shall be healed so powerful that we don't have to be near man we can send the word and it will do what it is set out to do all right like i have some friend who's not saved in california i don't have to get on a plane to go give them the gospel man i can send the word to them through my prayers lord i pray according to your word you desire no person will perish save my friend in California in the name of Jesus I send the word across the country right it was in Capernaum where Peters mother-in-law was healed it's in Capernaum when Jesus set up his base of

ministry operation after he was rejected in Nazareth watch this would be the last time he would be in Capernaum for just a few months from now which we'll get there in our text a few months from now he would be executed for your sins and mine's now I want you to pay attention to what Matthew recorded he said when they came to Capernaum, watch, some dudes rolled up on Peter, probably at the front of the city, like, hey, yo, we recognize you as one of them followers of that rabbi. Does not your Messiah pay this two drachma tax? Now, what is the two drachma tax? We have to understand this to understand the text. The two drachma tax begins its origin in the Mosaic law. So in Exodus chapter 30, let me just go there for a second. We see the origin of this particular tax

beginning at verse 11. The Lord said to Moses, this is during the days where the children of Israel was in Egyptian slavery and the Lord was getting ready to deliver them from Egyptian slavery. The Lord said to Moses, when you take the senses of the people of Israel, then each shall give a ransom. What's that word? What's the word? What's the word? That is a payment for somebody else to be set free. Pay attention.

When they give a ransom for his life to the Lord, when you number them, that there be no plague among them when you number them. Each one is numbered in the sense and shall give this. This is what the Lord required of them. The shekel, which is a form of money of the sanctuary. The shekel is 20 geras. Half a shekel has an offering to the Lord. Everyone who is numbered in the census from 20 years old and upward shall give the Lord's offering. Watch. The rich shall not give more

and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel when you give to the Lord's offering to make atonement. A powerful word. That is a temporary covering for sin. It's powerful. Hear the word? A temporary covering for sin. It's going to make sense in a second. What is atonement?

A temporary covering for sin for It's going to make sense in a second. What is atonement? A temporary covering for sin for your lives. You shall take the atonement money from the people of Israel and shall give it for the service of the tent of meeting, which is their portable church like we are right now. We don't own this facility. That it may bring the people of Israel to remembrance remembrance remembrance that is because we have a tendency to forget I want you to collect this money from them every year as a remembrance watch before the Lord so as to make atonement for your lives so what the Lord said to Moses is that every year when you make the census, that is when you number the number of Egypt or people in Egypt, I want you to tell them, bring to the house of meeting this offering. And the

purpose of this offering was to serve two things. One, for the upkeep of the tent of meeting, that is to provide for their portable church of sorts, their portable tent, watch, and to remind them that it was God who's about to deliver them from egypt it was god who was about to cover them for their sins it was god who was about to overthrow the pharaoh and their gods the only reason y'all gonna survive is because of the grace of god not because you're special not because you have your own righteousness every time you give this offering is going to help support that tent and it's going to remind you that I am the one who paid for your sins. Let me repeat. Every time you give

this offering, pay attention, it's going to be to support your tent and to remind you that I am the person who pardoned your sins. Listen again. Every time you give this offering, it's supposed to do two things. The upkeep of that tent and to remind you that I am the one, God, who forgives your sins. So every time you pay it, it's to remind you I have atoned for your sins. Watch. It is a foreshadow of the coming of the Lamb of God. Okay? Now, by the time we get to Matthew chapter 17, 1,500 years later, there is no more tent of meeting. Pay attention.

Now there is a temple that has been built in Jerusalem. This tax of the shekel in the Old Testament has now become this two drachma tax. This is not a tax from the Roman government upon the people. This is a tax that the Jews kept in their tradition, that they would levy on other Jews, and it would serve two purposes. Pay attention. It was served for the upbuilding or the upkeeping of the temple in Jerusalem. Watch. And to remind the people that it was God who was atoning for their sins. Now, what was happening in that temple?

You know what was happening in that temple? That was supposed to be a holy place. It was the place where the priests went in and shed the blood of lambs and animals and goats. And the spilling of that blood was supposed to represent an atonement or covering for their sins. And everything happening in that holy place, pay attention, was supposed to point them to Christ. It was not supposed to be permanent. It was not supposed to be forever. All of the sacrifices in this holy place, all of it was designed to point them to Christ, the coming of the Messiah.

Now watch. These collectors are walking around the city. So when they see Peter, they roll up on him like hey yo your messiah your your teacher watch doesn't he not pay this temple tax and i want you to look at the way they phrase the question does he not pay the tax you know what this is this is more than a question this is an underhanded insult. That what they're expecting Peter to say is no. So they can have something to accuse Jesus of.

Like, if he's a perfect Jew, why is he not paying this tax? We've heard things about Jesus. We've heard him say stuff like he's greater than the temple. So we want to know your Messiah. Like, does he pay this tax? And what we see right here in the text watch is the increasing opposition against Jesus as his influence is increasing that oftentimes all of us would deal with opposition from spiritual forces but for those of us who've got increases your influence

oftentimes that comes with an increase in influence is increase opposition. Increase haters. Increase naysayers. Increase skeptics. Increase trolls on social media. Jesus now, who is a famous rabbi, is dealing with opposition from every direction, right? But watch Peter. But Peter, watch this. You ain't never seen a Lord pay this tax. It's going to make sense in a second. You've been with Jesus three years. You ain't never seen him pay this tax. But in an attempt to try to protect his reputation, when they ask Peter the question, his response is, yes.

Oh, my Lord, he does paid a tax never mind you've never seen him paid a tax you're only worried about protecting his reputation with bad information you do the same thing all the time trying to protect the lord with your arguments on social media with bad doctrine. Trying to protect Jesus in some meeting at a coffee shop with bad information. And here is Peter, who had never seen the Lord pay this tax, trying to protect the reputation of Jesus by saying, oh yes, he pays the tax. A tax that is for all Jewish men 20 years and older. Men, mortals. Verse 25, part B. And when he came into his house,

which we believe was his own house, Jesus spoke to him first, so powerful, saying, what do you think, Simon? From who do the kings of the earth take toll or tax? Pay attention, Jesus, this is wisdom. From their sons or from others and when he said Simon said from others Jesus said to him then the sons are free there's that powerful word now a couple of things I want to draw your attention to

in the text Simon gets accosted outside by these collectors. He comes into the house and before he can even speak, Jesus speaks to him first. Now this means nothing to you, but this is very powerful to me because what I see right here is Jesus wasn't outside. Jesus didn't hear that conversation and yet he has divine knowledge of how Peter was conflicted when he was outside. This is very powerful to me because Matthew is reminding me in the text, Philip Anthony Mitchell. He's showing us why. He just was talking about the transfiguration. He just was talking about God being, Jesus being God in the flesh.

Now he's reminding me about this non-communicable attribute of Jesus. Communicable. That is, you and I have some attributes we share with God, like emotions, like we can see, like we can hear, we can feel. Those are communicable attributes we share with God. But there are non-communicable attributes we do not share with God, like omniscience, that is knowing knowing all things and as intelligent as you are you know in part you prophesy in part

this small detail Matthew put in the text is so powerful to me because man he's taking us back to the transfiguration and he's showing us the omniscience of Christ. That before Peter could even speak, all these details are here on purpose. He says, Jesus spoke to him first. So the Lord already knew he was conflicted outside. And I love this because I feel like the Lord ran upon him first for two powerful reasons. One, he knew that Peter was in a conflict. And before Peter could even come talk to him about the conflict. Shh.

Shh. Shh. The Lord leans into his conflict before he can even talk. This is powerful to me. Because it reminds me that there is nothing happening in my life or yours. That the Lord does not know about. There is nothing happening in your life that is bringing hurt or conflict to your heart that he does not know. And instead of running away from your conflict, no, Jesus runs towards your conflict. And he's loving enough, watch, to step right into your conflict

Sometimes when you don't know what to pray and all you got is tears Oh, you have this confusion or your heart is worried. I am so thankful that I serve a Messiah With his presence man, he moves towards my conflict. But another reason I believe Jesus asked him this question, watch, not only conflict, but correction. Watch, he does not allow his disciple to have bad theology the lord loves you so much he does not want you to have bad theology

so he rose up with simon uh simon let me paraphrase have you ever seen me pay this tax let me ask you a question uh the kings of the earth, watch the wisdom of Jesus. He's bringing correction to Simon. The kings of the earth, who do they collect taxes from? Their sons or from other people? Now, when Jesus asks people questions, he's not asking because he's trying to learn. Jesus can't learn. Because learning implies you can grow in knowledge. And since he is perfect in knowledge, he cannot learn. There is no ambiguity with sovereignty. Sovereignty knows

all things. So he can't learn. He can't get better because he's already perfect. Right? So he's not asking Peter this question because he's trying to get some information from Peter he does not know. When the Lord asks questions in a text, he's trying to bring the person on the other side of the question to a revelation for themselves. And when the Holy Spirit asks you a question, why did you say that? Why did you do that? He's trying to bring you to a revelation for yourself. So he asked Peter a question. Peter, the kings of the earth, watch, it's powerful.

Who do they collect taxes from? Their sons, their children, or from other people? Peter finally gets the revelation. Well, I guess from other people. And the Lord said, well, if that's the case, then the sons are free. He said, preacher, I don't understand. They're collecting taxes to support a temple in which they're doing sacrifices in the temple. All of it pointing to a coming king.

Everything happening in that temple is to point them to a king. If Christ now is the son of God, then everything happening in that temple is to point them to him. This is why he said earlier in Matthew that he is greater than the temple. So if they're taking up offerings in support of a house for a king and he is the owner of that house. Then as the owner of that house. He is exempt from that tax. Since y'all are doing all of this. For the worship of God. And I am God.

Then since I am God. There is no need for paying this tax. I am then by being God in the flesh. And transfiguration. Free from paying this tax and Peter since you are my followers the sons anybody who is in me and free from paying this tax so watch so because I am free from this tax it makes no sense for me to pay it so peter let me correct you no i don't pay the tax peter in the past because this tax is for the worship of who i

am god the messiah now watch jesus is free from this tax because he's god in the flesh so powerful his disciples are free from this tax because they are followers of Christ. They have what? Freedom. You can do what you want. But watch wisdom. Closing. Watch wisdom.

Verse 27. However. So powerful. verse 27 however so powerful jesus said however watch not to give offense to them peter since you already screwed up wisdom and wonder series peter since you already gave them bad information, and since you already, I told them that I pay the tax, although I'm free from this tax, let me put a restraint on my own freedom. Gosh.

I'm free. I can do whatever I want. Since you already told them that I pay the tax, watch. And since this is not an essential issue, since this has nothing to do with doctrine, since it has nothing to do with the laws, the moral laws of God, since it's not going to affect my witness to do this. However, not to give offense to them.

Everybody watch. I'm closing. Go to the sea. Cast a hook. And take the first fish that comes up. This is so powerful. And when you open its mouth, you will find a shekel, which is for drachmas. Take that and give it to them for me and for yourself.

Now let me close the message with two powerful, with three powerful principles. I'm closing. He says, watch, however, but not to give offense. So Jesus is saying, Peter, since you already opened up your mouth, watch. Since you already told him I paid a tax, since I'm already free, since this is a non-essential issue, watch. Let's give, watch this word, grace in a non-essential. It makes no sense to argue over a non-essential. It makes no sense to fight them over a non-essential. Us paying this tax is not going to affect our witness, but what will affect our witness is passing off unnecessary offense. These ignorant men don't know that I'm the son of God, so I don't need to

unnecessarily offend them when they're just trying to take up a tax to support my father's house. Watch. First principle we seem to take, the Lord is support my father's house watch first principle we seem to take the lord is teaching his children you will not pay attention that you will not already carry a message that is offensive by nature the gospel that says you are a sinner that says you are separated from god that says you need a savior that message is offensive. Since the message you carry is already offensive, I don't need my children out there in society being unnecessarily offensive and non-essential issues. I don't need you saying things to people that is offensive for no reason. I don't need you doing things on social media that is offensive for no reason.

Man, if people are going to be offended, let them be offended for truth's sake. But let them not be offended for issues that are non-essential. You got to know when to exercise restraint on your freedom. With your mouth and with your life. To back away from something and say, you know what, I could flex on you right now. But sometimes the greater flex is knowing you can and choose it Let me say that again Sometimes the greater flex is knowing you can and choose it not to Yeah, I can let you have it right now in this post, but I'ma just back away

I can let you have it right now in this argument, but I'm just back away. I can let you have it right now in this argument but I'm just going back away. Yo I can do what I want in this moment but I'm just going to back away. It is the people of God listen to me to stop offending people unnecessarily because you said because I'm in Christ I could do what I want. I could say what I want. I can move how I want. I can talk to who I want, sleep with who I want, do what I want. And the Lord is teaching all of us, pay attention. Although you have freedom that is unparalleled, have the wisdom and the maturity. And non-essential issues to stop offending people unnecessarily. Too many people are mad at God, not because God is not worthy of worship, but because his people are so offensive in the things that we do.

I don't got to respond to every troll that creep up on my page. I don't got to argue with every person who I bump into in a Walmart. What the Lord is trying to teach us first is that you have to have wisdom to recognize when something is a non-essential issue and watch and give grace in the non-essentials that is not worth causing an offense. One brother come up to me, why are y'all baptizing

in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit? You should only baptize in the name of Jesus. Bro, I'm pulling this right from the Great Commission. All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me. Therefore, go make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the name of the Son, and the name of the Holy Spirit. But you said based on your tradition, only in the name of Jesus watch watch watch watch this all right baptize them in the name of Jesus and they're really belong to Christ we all gonna make it to heaven anyway so I could give grace in a non-essential, there's no need for me in that moment, Matika, to pass on unnecessary offense. So this is us now growing to a place of maturity

where we start thinking about my words, my actions, my pulse. When I start thinking about, man, I could do what I want, say what I want, go where I want, drink what I want. But if I'm going to do this, if it's going to unnecessarily offend somebody, man, let me put a restraint on my freedom. That there are times when we should fight and should stand and should take a 10 toes down attitude towards some doctrine but then there have to be times where we're sensitive enough to listen to me i'm telling y'all christians to stop being so offensive this is going to be a good conversation this week in squads talk about the stuff you say the stuff you do the places you say, the stuff you do, the places you go, and the behaviors you have that keep passing off offense to people unnecessarily. Listen, since our message is already offensive, let's try to tailor our freedoms to not be so unnecessarily offensive to other people.

Does that make sense to you? But watch the text. I'm closing. Watch the text. Pay attention. In the overflow, pay attention. Watch. Peter ain't got the money to pay this tax. Now, this part of the text makes sense to me because I got bills And I know I'm not the only one who got bills and expenses Yo, my man Peter don't got the money to pay this tax Watch So the Lord sends him to do something he enjoys already Watch. Watch.

Watch, watch, watch, watch, watch. Peter ain't got the money to pay the tax. Watch. So the Lord is going to supernaturally provide for him first by telling him to go do something he enjoys already. He's trying to tell Peter what? Tranquilo. Stop worrying. Watch.

You need, I got this. Watch. Watch. He doesn't, pay attention. I'm closing. He doesn't send him with a net. He doesn't send him with a net. He doesn't send him to a pond. He sends him to the Sea of Galilee

with one fishing line to catch one fish and in the mouth of that fish is supposed to be one shekel which is worth two days wages for two people to pay the tax that Peter can't afford. So, all right. So, I just went fishing for the first time this summer in Miami with one of my close friends. So, you got to think about this.

Somebody would have had to have been on the Sea of Galilee. Watch. They would have had to drop a shekel in the water by accident. A fish would have had to have been swimming because they love shiny things. I learned to swallow up that coin Peter could be anywhere in the Sea of Galilee with one line and that one fish amongst thousands of fish That one fish amongst thousand fish would have ran right into Peter's line. Peter would have pulled up that fish and there was the money in its mouth.

Now, friends, come on. Let's not be stupid. The odds of that happening is an impossibility. Watch. Apart from the sovereign work of God. But Matthew's writing with a purpose. He started this chapter with the transfiguration. He's trying to show the Jewish readers

that Jesus is God in the flesh. So now he tells Peter, watch, I'm going to provide for you in a supernatural way that only God could do. Which helps the disciple who was on the mountaintop have even increased faith that this man I'm rolling with, he must be God in the flesh. For nobody can pull this off except God himself. Yes. He's proven, watch watch that I am God and I like this park as I got bills that you don't have a need that I can't meet

there's no one who serves me you don't have a singular need that I can't meet but here is the challenge too often many of us for your needs you just want the manifestation of the outcome But sometimes God don't give you the manifestation of the outcome He'll give you an instruction that leads to the outcome and builds your faith while you're following the instruction. You don't believe me? Through a prophet, he said to a woman, oh, you got a need? Go borrow jars and not a few. He met her need through an instruction. He said to a man who had a skin disease through a prophet, go dip yourself seven times in the Jordan River. I'll meet your need, but through an instruction. He said to a man who was sick, take up your bed and walk.

I'll meet your need, but through an instruction. And there are too many of us. There are too many of us. You keep begging God for all of these needs. Like, Lord, why are you not showing up here? My real question is, are you listening to his instructions? You said, Lord, why are you not being this need? Are you listening to his instructions?

You're always chasing behind a prophet because you're too scared to have your own prayer life, but he's given you instructions. In this word, he's taught you how to steward your resources. He's taught you about how to be generous. He's taught you that all of the money you have, you're just a steward your resources. He's taught you about how to be generous. He's taught you that all

of the money you have, you're just a steward, a manager of that money. He's taught you about how to peel some off, to spend, save, sell. All these instructions, Lord, my business, my da-da-da, he's given you all these instructions. Watch. All of them are pathways to the best life possible, but you always complain about what you don't have, but you don't follow his. You always a nag around the throne about the things you don't have, but you don't take time to read, study, and then watch this word. It's a curse word. Obey.

Obey. There's some of you right now, certain doors will open for your life when you start following his instructions. There's certain tables he will sit you at when you start following his instructions. There are certain tables he will sit you at when you start following his instructions. There are certain things he will do in your business or your ministry when you start following his instructions. There are certain provisions he'll make for you when you start following

his instructions. He did not give Peter a coin. He gave Peter instructions. I'm done Frank now look at me you want to see a life change start obeying his instructions thank you need to be around people teachers people who are teaching you not their 5 a.m. revelation. Don't give a darn about that.

They're teaching you his... This is Acts 2. Devotion to the apostles' teachings. There's no wonder your Christian life is a mess. You jealous of me? You jealous of some influencer?

But they're in private following their instructions. You're jealous, but you're disobedient. Ain't no superstars in the kingdom. Ain't no celebrities in the kingdom. The only celebrity is seated on a throne next to God the Father. Who gave you over a thousand pages of his instructions, man. You think Christianity is a title? You think it's a post on Instagram? No, it's a life yielded to his, like he told you what to do in here with your money. He told you what to do in here with your wife. He told you what to do

in here with your husband. He told you what to do in here with your wife. He told you what to do in here with your husband. He told you what to do in here with your children. He told you what to do in here with your friends. He told you what kind of friends to avoid. What kind of friends to have. He told you what to do with your mouth. He told you what to do with your heart. He told you what to do with your life. You're just a churchgoer, but you never put your face in his instructions. Now listen to me as I close. Pay attention. I do not want you to leave that overflow. Leave this stream or leave this moment just focused on fishes, coins, and taxes. This ain't about the IRS and this ain't about no fish and chips. No, look at me.

No, look right at me. Eye contact. I want you to repeat the Christology of the text. Matthew is writing with a purpose. He's writing this to Jews to prove that Christ is the Messiah. He ain't putting these details there by accident. All of it is connected for a reason. You got to follow the whole thing from beginning to end. Now watch. Pay attention. This ain't about no taxes. All of it is connected for a reason you got to follow the whole thing from beginning to end now watch pay attention This ain't about no taxes

The past I don't get it watch Peter watch Peter is a man watch Who all these taxes and could not pay. He had a debt he could not pay and the Lord paid his debt and then here is Jesus who owed no debt got his debt paid for, but he could not pay it. And a man who was not in debt paid a debt that he did not have to pay. The two men are a picture of the gospel. How all of us owe the tax debt to God that we couldn't have. And then here comes

Christ who owed no debt and paid a price for you that he did not owe. You owe the tax and could not afford it. Jesus paid it for you. Jesus owed no tax, but became sin for you and paid a debt he did not owe. What Matthew is trying to show us is, man, here's a picture of the power of the gospel. How people who owed something was

set free, and a man who owed nothing paid a debt. It's just a constant reminder by the reader that this Messiah came, lived a perfect sinless life, set me free from the requirements of the law, died a death that I was supposed to die, was raised on the third day and paid the price so I can escape the wrath of God if my life is in Christ snatch me from my depravity and if I'm Peter in the text

and know that my debt was paid when I could not afford it man what is my response to that man begrudging service drag myself to church throw a penny in the offering no my only response to my debt being paid is a life of complete surrender you clap but you don't live that way you don't live that way because you only want to hear sermons that put you at the center of every text and you only want to hear sermons that put you at the center of every text.

And you only want to hear sermons that stroke your emotions. But you don't want to be reminded that your debt was paid for. And that the only response to that debt that was paid for is a life of complete homage, complete worship, complete surrender, complete service to the Lord Jesus Christ. Lord, I let the weight of the word come to bear on every area of my life. I let the weight of the word come to bear on my mind and on my heart and on my actions and on my money and on my marriage and on my parenting and on my friends. I let the weight of the word come to bear.

Lord, I'm completely surrendered to you. I have no will of my own against your will. For in the same way Peter couldn't pay this tax, it's in the same way you couldn't pay for your own sin. And the only response to that, I'm so sick of it. Us Western Christianity, us Western church, look at me right through that camera,

give me this camera right here, one. Aren't you not tired of going to church Sunday in and Sunday out and hearing messages that make you feel like you're all of that in a bag of chips and you're trying to do a Christianity that is not orthodox and you're mad at God all the time for the prayers he's not answering but your life is not surrendered to him you only want to be told you're awesome but you don't want to be told repent you don't want to be told surrender you don't want to turn to the Messiah who died for you on the cross and say Lord man because of the tax

that you paid for me here is all of my life in response to you you don't want to pack a room for that you don't want to go to a conference for that you don't want to listen to a podcast for that all you want to be told is about blessings. But I peer into the text and I hear my Lord screaming at me

through the pages of the Bible. My son, my daughter, stop offending people unnecessarily. My son, my daughter, stop offending people unnecessarily. My son, my daughter, when I see you in conflict, I move towards you in your conflict. My son, my daughter, when I'm correcting your bad theology, I'm correcting that because I love you. And I don't want you trying to defend me with stuff that's not truth. My son, my daughter, you had a debt you could not pay. I paid that debt for you, my son, my daughter. I am not just a Jew that you're following.

I am the son of God, the Messiah, the Christ Almighty. Man, and my prayer for 2819, my prayer for everybody under this banner, that this would be more than a service, more than a 10 o'clock, more than a gathering, that we would come out of here saying, Jesus, I lay that down for you. Jesus, I'm going to change this for you. I'm going to love this person better for you. I'm going to surrender this to you. I'm not just going to keep doing church and not living a surrendered life. And every time you start feeling yourself, just ask yourself, could you pay that tax debt? No. Man, there is a powerful life on the other side of full surrender. There is a powerful life on the other side of following his instructions. You keep complaining, Lord, bless me and do all these things. Man, just follow his

instructions. See, no excitement. No drums. Just a moment of reflection. That's how we close in. Are you unnecessarily offensive to other people?

Do you recognize when the Lord is moving towards you in your conflict and grace and mercy? Do you sense when he's trying to correct your bad theology? Do you recognize when he has, watch, paid your debt and are you fully surrendered to him in every area of your life? Is this just church or is this a life you're living of surrender unto the Messiah? Do you have a fence around the areas you don't want him to touch? Don't tell me about

this area of my marriage. Don't tell me about this area of my money. Don't tell me what to do with my kids. Don't tell me, don't do, don't tell me to do, but you're mad. Well, how come they, how come they and how come, but they're following his? They're constantly catching coins out of the mouths of fish because all we do is follow his, his instructions. That is my prayer for you so father in the name of Jesus don't move I pray over every person under the sound of my voice I pray for everyone in the overflow and every digital disciple over every person under the sound of my voice. I pray for everyone in the overflow and every digital disciple.

I pray you would help us to evaluate our freedom and show us, God, where we are unnecessarily offending other people. Help us to be aware when you're moving towards us in conflict. Help us to be sensitive when you're trying to correct some area

of thought or doctrine or belief that's not accurate. Help us to keep marveling at what you've done on the cross. how you paid a tax debt for us we owe and could not pay and what i pray will come out of this moment will be sons and daughters whose lives and glad submission is turned towards you with joy to say lord i give you all of me i will yield to your word, yield to your ways. I want the blessings and the miracles on the other side

of following all of your instructions. I will be wise with my freedoms. I will marvel over the debt that you paid for my life. I pray this over all of you. And Father, for the person who is not saved, I pray right now in this moment, you move towards them. Somebody sitting in their seat,

somebody watching across the camera. Right now, I'm praying for them, God, that you would sovereignly save them. They are among your elect from the foundation of the world. Move them to yourself even right now. Rescue them as they're listening to the proclamation of the word.

Snatch them from the fires of hell. Fill them with your Holy Spirit. Open their blinded eyes. Let them see God in the name of Jesus. Save them. Expand the borders of your kingdom in the heart of some man, some woman, some teenager, some child. I believe by faith you're saving them right now. Put them on the paths of righteousness. And Lord, teach us to love what you love and hate what you hate and to put our whole lives on this altar. I pray this over my brothers and sisters

and the mighty and the majestic and the matchless name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. All of God's people say amen. Now don't move. If you're in the overflow, don't move. I want everybody to stand to your feet and don't move.

If you're in the overflow, stand to your feet and don't move. Don't walk. Don't move. If you're watching across the camera, don't shut off the stream. don't move if you're watching across the camera don't shut off the stream don't move it's in my heart to tell you this since the text is talking about the payment of a coin there are too many christians right now too many of you you're suffering financially your home is upside down your bills is upside down, your bills is upside down, and it's not like God hasn't given you wisdom. And this ain't no

pep talk to try to twist your arm to give. This is me loving you as a shepherd. This is a talk I have with my staff and people I love. I want to encourage all of you, man, to start listening to the instructions of God around your finances. That God said all of the money you have, you're just a manager of those resources. He calls you to be a good steward. Let me help you. Stop buying things you can't afford. Stay away from unnecessary debt.

For some of you, it's not making more money. It's keeping more of what you make. You need more management. I want to encourage some of you, go take Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University and change my wife and I's life. We have no debt. We have zero debt in our lives. We live off of a budget. Before our checks come into our house, my wife already prepared where every dollar is gonna go. What that does is create surplus. We shop our vendors. We have no loyalty to vendors. If T-Mobile has a better thing going than somebody else, we switch.

If Geico has better insurance than State Farm, we switch. We shop at Aldi we don't go to Publix for everything what I'm saying is we are wise with our resources listen we are, my wife and I, generous a portion of our income leaves every check and is

sewn into 2819, into the gospel we're just following his instructions. I don't want to see some of y'all always economically strapped when God has given you wisdom in his word to how to steward your resources.

Now this ain't for me to get no jet. And I don't need another house. This is me trying to help you stop being economically in trouble all the time. Some of you are always begging God to bless you, but he can't trust you with the check you have right now. So I want to encourage as many of you who feel led. Man, support the spread of the gospel live off a budget stop going into debt stop buying things you can't afford be a good steward manager of those temporary resources the scripture even says spend some of that money that you could gain friends for yourself in heaven that is is, invest money where souls are being saved.

It's all in there. So I want to pray something special over you. Father, I pray right now over all of the disciples of 2819, local and abroad, that you would give us wisdom to be good stewards over our resources. For this is the part of the gathering when I'm supposed to remind them to support the spread of the gospel. Not talking about an Old Testament tithe or trying to force them to pay money.

But God, teach them, God, to support the church. Teach them, God, to live off a budget. Teach them to be wise with their resources. God, I pray for everyone right now who's unemployed that you would open up a door for employment. I pray right now for everyone with a business and a ministry that you would bless that business and ministry. I pray millionaires would come out of this church and that you would fund them, God, with an excess to support the planting of churches, missionaries, and the spread of the gospel. I pray you would free us from that God of money and that we would see it as a temporary commodity to be managers over for a short period of time. I pray we would rise to be good stewards, to be radically generous like the woman I helped who was poor in front of Best Buy.

Help us, God, to first start with your house, to start with our house, to go outside of ours, to be good stewards, to be generous, to be kind, to manage well. I pray a financial blessing of wisdom and favor over the disciples of this house, local and abroad. In Jesus' mighty name, I pray. Help us in the spread of the gospel. Now, if you received that prayer, say amen. All right, put your hands together.