Ever since there began to be two groups preaching and baptizing, there were those who wanted to set up a competition between them. In John 3:22-36, John the Baptist put an immediate stop to the idea of competition between Jesus and himself. His response provides not only pastors but all Christians with an excellent motto for our lives. (Here is a link to the full sermon notes.)
Jesus combined a warning of judgment with a demonstration of the liberating power of the kingdom of God.
Four short parables point to the surpassing value of the kingdom of God and the need to find it now.
During three weeks, we are looking at Matthew 6:1-18, moving from the outside toward the Lord’s Prayer in the middle. First we considered Jesus’...