The History of Israel - Part 7 with Pastor Jeff Shipley

The Historical Setting of Matthew’s Genealogy and the Birth of Jesus

You know, the little blonde haired, blue eyed Jesus, because he was European at the time, laying in the little manger with a glowing little light behind. You know, none of that is actually true. Do you know that Jesus was not born on December 25th?

It didn't happen that way. He wasn't born on the year zero. Okay, I think he was born about 4 B .C. But we'll get to that some other time. Okay, there weren't wise men at the manger. They didn't show up.

They were not there. The little nativity scene that y 'all get so fired up about because a heathen secular state won't allow it on state property, it's not real. It did not happen that way. Go reread your Bible and stop paraphrasing God's word and memorizing man's word, okay?

Your life will be a lot better. Here's what Matthew 1 is talking about in the birth of Jesus. It talks about what we have been spending the last three months. You know, I sat there and said, man, we've come to the point in our little timeline where we're in the history.

We're in this little point right here during the Roman time, okay? Pompeii in about 63, 64 B .C. walked in Jerusalem and said, this is ours. Can't touch this. And Rome started, which was a republic at that time, started taking over more and more of the world.

It was like Millington had finally become Tennessee. And now Tennessee was stretching into north Mississippi, north Alabama. It was moving across the Mediterranean, and it was gaining power, massive power.

God Orchestrates History to Bring Glory to Himself

And then this little thing happened with this chick called Cleopatra. Was Cleopatra Egyptian? No. What was she? Greek. Very good. See? My little peoples are learning. She didn't know how to walk like an Egyptian.

Sorry, I can't sing. She was Greek. And God had set all that up. Guys, just stop for a second. And all of you, especially keyboard warriors on the Internet trying to find out whether you're a Christian or not, or whether it's okay to be gay and Christian, or whether it's okay to be this and Christian, or whether you can...

Stop it! Okay? The problem is you don't really truly believe you're trying to find a mental understanding for something that can only be understood by a spiritual heart regenerated and repented before a living God.

You're treating God like He's just some sort of religion. Listen. God orchestrated the entire world to happen at a certain time in a certain way, in a certain place, to make sure that He got all the glory.

And that's what's going to happen. Here's the cool part. We're talking about history, but guys, I know some of y 'all are really scared. These are exciting times. Guys, this is the adventure that we all daydream about.

We are living in a world that is rapidly seeing the escalation of prophecy to a galactic... Galactic? A really cool end. It's really cool. Guys, and it's not that hard to understand. White trash Fraserites and Nutbush people...

Tracy, raise your hand. Can understand this. You guys can get it too, okay? So let's read Matthew chapter 1, verse 1. Matthew chapter 1, verse 1. Let's read it together. It says this. This is the historical record of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Pastor, why are you going through all this history? It's boring. Well, excuse me, and I'll be sure to relay your comment to God because that's what He does in the first chapter of Matthew and the first chapter of Luke.

Yes, Rebecca, that was sarcasm. Guys, He starts out with Abraham, just like we did back here. Abraham in 2100 BC. That means 2100 years... Oh, sorry. Before Jesus, God had a plan. And this is what He told Abraham.

He said, you know what, buddy? I'll tell you what I'm going to do. Through your descendants, through your bloodline, I'm not just going to bless the Jews. I'm going to bless all nations because of you.

And He goes through here in Matthew 21 and He proves it. Matthew 1 .1 says it. Matthew 1 .1 through 27 proves it. And in case you missed it in Matthew, go to Luke because it's recorded again 30 years later by a guy who never even knew Matthew.

Are you with me? This is not a religion or a joke. It is God's hand coming true. Now, why is it so important that you understand the history of God's plan? Well, number one, it proves... Look at your little sheets.

It proves... Where am I? Let me slow down. I'm getting excited. All right. It proves God's word. God said back here in Genesis, this is what's going to happen. And the Assyrian nation said, oh, no, it's not.

You're going to worship our God. And God said, ha! And wiped them out. Then Babylon showed up. Babylon whooped Assyria. And they said, yeah, we're all that in a bag of chips. And God whooped Babylon. Then Persia.

Then Greece. Then the Romans. Then the USA. For those of you that are ardent patriots in here, may God bless you. So am I. My blood, if you cut it, runs red, white, and blue. But let me... Come here for a second.

This country is going bye-bye. My allegiance is not to the United States first. My allegiance is the kingdom of God. And here's the real cool part. If you're stupid, and your allegiance is to God, you're in good stead like me.

Because I'm stupid too. Because I'm actually holding allegiance to that which will actually last. I'm on the winning side. But you know what's even more powerful about it? Is I'm not just on the winning side.

I'm a co-heir to the throne of the winning side. COVID. Beirut bombs. All this stuff going on. God said, this is what's going to happen. You see, why is it important to study this? It's because it proves God's word was not written by the Catholics in the 300s.

It proves God's word is not some silly thing of man trying to control your little minds. Oh, and little they are. It's not about sitting there and going, oh, well this is just something my parents are doing to me.

This is real life. Guys, understand this. And some of you need to hear this. Right now, in reality, about 11 people around the world just died. Right? Now, hold on. Again. Again. Again. And every single one of them now believe in God.

But not every single one of them are going to heaven. In fact, statistically speaking, 10 out of those 11 are right now, in real life, not some Baptist preacher religion thing, but according to the word of God that has not been wrong and has orchestrated kingdoms and governments like puppets, it says that they are going to scream in eternity forever.

Oh, pastor, that just doesn't sit well with me. That offends me. Well, you know what, jack wagon, get a tissue, and I don't care that your favorite color is yellow, all right, and come to grips with you're not God.

You're not God. Your opinions have, if the governments of the world bow to the kingdom of God, where do you think your opinion rates? Second thing, it's not only proof of God's word. This genealogy, this history of view in Matthew chapter 1 is proof of God's sovereignty in His promises.

Now you say, well, Brother Jeff, you just said His word. Guys, there's something more powerful than the word we have here today. That is a record of something greater. You say, what is something greater?

It is actually the promises of Almighty God. Guys, think about this for a second. Think about this. Some of you have more respect for this book than the words that are actually in it. Guys, you know what that's called in Scripture?

Idolatry, Religious Formalism, and the Need for Regenerative Grace

Idolatry. Idolatry. Some of y 'all won't even listen to people unless they have a King James Bible. None of you in this room have a King James Bible. None of you do. I promise you, none of you do. If you actually have a 1611 King James Bible, let's sell it and let's me and you buy new trikes, Harley Davidson trikes, okay?

Ain't none of you white trash in here have no King James Bible, okay? You don't. Some of y 'all have more allegiance to a stupid building than you do the church that dwells within it. Guys, this wall right here is not holy.

This floor is not holy because it's made of tile and concrete. It's only holy and set apart when God's people are in it and God shows up to be with them in it, okay? But you have more respect for your religion or a building than you do the God it claims to serve.

That's why you need to know this history, you see. Because you understand God through a system of rules and regulations, not through the power of regenerative grace from the Holy Spirit of God. Listen to me.

If some of y 'all are struggling with your spiritual life, more than likely it's because you don't understand my third and last point, grace. And yes, I sped through the first two because this is the main part I want you to get at.

I got something I want to show y 'all. This is so cool. These are really cool. We found some art upstairs in the children's department. So cool. In the children's department, by the way, which does not make your senior pastor very happy.

But we'll get to that some other time. Here's a picture. It's really cool. Somebody took a lot of time and energy and actually colored... It says family. You know, this is for little kids. And they made the man a woman.

And then they put the little... What's that rainbow thing on the shirt? And it says family. Mom and mom. Or, it's inclusive. It says dad and dad. It's Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve. Okay? Now, here's what some people say.

Well, you hate homosexuals. I don't hate anybody except child molesters and a lot of politicians. Your homosexuality is no greater than some old Baptist's gossiping. You guys in this room that are struggling with your little secret pet sin are not better than the street-walking prostitute on Summer Avenue.

Okay? See, we're totally depraved. According to Romans chapters 1, 2, and 3, we're all in the same boat. I'm the licensed, ordained senior pastor of Witten Baptist Church. God bless you. And I said a very harsh thing to a guy in a Charger driving down my street yesterday.

It's very... My hypocrisy came all out yesterday. I was working in my yard, and this guy sitting in our cove in one of those Chargers, he's like... Right? And he kind of goes... And he speeds past my house and his windows were open and he was playing what you kids today call music.

Long live the 80s. But, as he was driving by I went, Hey! Slow down! Now, me yelling that, do you think I was actually trying to encourage him to decrease his speed or to initiate a conversation and a conflict with him to get him to stop and pull over?

Right. Because he needed a daddy at that point and I was ready to oblige him. My sons came over last night. Oh, I'm sorry Eesh. My sons came over last night and another car drove down the street. And I was getting mad and it was going fast.

And I went... My sons are here. I'm not going to say anything. That's hypocrisy. You know, that's the same as adultery, homosexuality, and anything else. We're all totally depraved. God's Word says there are none righteous.

No, not one. Man, what are we going to do? If you look here, it's really cool. In this genealogy in Matthew 1, it lists David. You know who David was? He was the king of Israel. He was the last and ordained senior pastor of a kingdom.

And he cheated on his wife. And then had wife's husband killed to death. Yeah. Just so he could have said she. It talks about Rahab. You know who Rahab was? She prostituted. For some of you Baptists in here, I'll explain it to you later.

But she was a prostitute. And yet she is a part of the promise of Almighty God. Wow. It talks about Ruth. You know, little sweet. I love. What's that chick who wants to be a pastor? What's her name? She writes 5 ,000 books a year.

No, not Joyce Meyer. She's an idiot. Beth Moore. That's the one. I love how Beth Moore presents women in the Bible. She either goes way over the top, and they're like, you know, butch. Or they're like sweet, innocent, little, perfect little angels.

Instead of just being like normal human beings. I love how Ruth is presented as this faithful, perfect, sweet, innocent little girl. That's not Ruth really at all if you think about it. I mean, think about Ruth.

She violated one of God's commands that they not intermarry with unbelievers. Had nothing to do with skin color, dorks. With unbelievers. By the way, that's still an admonishment of God right now. God don't care what flavor you marry.

Unless it be an unbeliever. I mean, where's my daughter Ashley? I want her to start having kids. She's the only hope I have to have a grandson instead of grandchild girls. Right? And I tell Ashley, I don't care what color, what flavor you bring me.

Start bringing me some grandsons. Right? It has nothing to do with the color of skin. Stupid people. It has to do with where the hearts are. Because a believer and unbeliever can never walk together in singular truth.

If they are not joined together by the blood of Almighty God. So it talks about Ruth in there. But then the thing that I want you to notice more. I'll read it to you. It says this. Verse 9. And Uzziah fathered Jotham.

Jotham fathered Ahaz. Ahaz fathered Hezekiah. Hezekiah fathered Manasseh. Who knows about Hezekiah? Someone can tell. Tell me about Hezekiah. Not a good king. That's profound. Anything else? Can someone tell me about Manasseh?

Most wicked man in the Bible. Shh, Bill, you're stealing my thunder. It's rhetorical, Bill. Hey, baby. Okay, watch this. Hezekiah was the king. And they were being, once again, assaulted by Assyrians.

And Hezekiah got cancer. And he was basically told, or something. But he was basically told, dude, you're fixing to die. Hezekiah went to God and said, God, please spare my life. Please spare my life.

And God did. God said, you will live for 15 more years. Do you ever wish that you knew when you were going to die? That would be the very worst thing in the world for you to do. It really would. Especially for a Christian.

Because if I knew I wasn't going to die, and I was 20 years old, and I knew I wasn't going to die until I'm 60, I would try to push those limits as hard as I did. I already did, man. I mean, I rode on top of cars, tripping on acid, looking at Christmas lights, going, wow.

And then I told the driver, hey, man, stop real quick so they'll go by real fast. And the idiot did. And I forgot about inertia. And I learned it all over again. You're that stupid. And if you knew that information, you would probably not live to see that day.

Guys, Hezekiah said, oh, good, I've got 15 more years. This is what I'm going to do. Now, I know you young people don't believe this, but this is how stupid he was. He goes, well, I'm going to party like it's 1999 now because I know I'm going to come back to God a little bit later on in my life.

You hear what I'm saying to you? See, I'll wait and become all Christian later when I have a wife and kids. The problem with that is you're probably going to choose the wrong wife, the wrong job, the wrong path.

Your kids are going to be in rebellion. And you're going to be a big, fat, stupid loser. And it's going to be compounded to the fact that you still need to repent. But you're thinking it's based on time rather than a broken heart before God.

So Hezekiah had 15 more years. Well, three years later after that prayer, he gave birth. He had a son named Manasseh. A son named Manasseh. Now, Manasseh was born into a world where he had everything he wanted or needed.

Real quick for a second. Do you all know any poor people? No, you don't. Not living in the U .S., you don't. No, you don't. I promise you, you do. It's hilarious when I hear them talk about poor people and they're wearing shoes and they look like me on the profile.

You don't know poor people. We live in a country today. I keep hearing these statistics that there are 32 million Americans starving. Where? Where? We feed anybody that comes into this church. Where? Where are they?

What they really mean is we're going to save 32 million so we can get more federal money. But that's another sermon for another time. Manasseh was born into a country and a world like y 'all, like we are today.

He had everything he needed. And this is what he saw. When Hezekiah prayed to God, his heart and mind were right with God. But when he found out he had 15 more years, he started doing this. Now, this is going to be hard for y 'all to understand, okay?

All right? I'm going to try to explain it to you. You ready? Yes, Rebecca, this is sarcasm. All right, you ready? Here we go. God bless you. Yes, I believe in God. God bless the USA! You're moral people.

You believe in a God somewhere up there. But how you live that out in reality is two totally different things. And here's what happens to your kids. Come here. And I might be wrong on this, okay? Okay?

Because I didn't graduate high school. But here's what happens. Your kids see the hypocrisy of you on Sunday mornings going, God bless you, just God bless you. And the hypocrisy of how you actually live out your Christianity, which is nothing more than a cultural religion because you are going to hell probably.

But how they see that out, and they rebel in a lack of consistency to truth because it makes them feel insecure. And when they feel insecure, they start looking for other things to make them feel secure because we all want to feel secure.

And so they'll go to a boyfriend or girlfriend and they'll go, no one's ever understood me like you. I love you so much. And then they get burned. And they have big, massive scars on their heart. And you do something really intelligent like this.

Well, there are many fish in the sea. Don't worry about it. You'll be okay. Not you need to repent to God. Not we need to get our lives right. Or you might be one of those really smart Christians that say something intelligent like this.

Oh, we need to get back into church. Like coming back here is going to fix you. You don't need to kneel at a church. You need to kneel before the throne of Almighty God because you think stupid religion is going to fix something.

Is this too much truth for you all? Can I keep going a little bit? Okay, I just want to make sure. Because I don't want to offend anybody in here. And usually those people that are offended the most are the ones who need to repent the most.

They'll start drawing pictures like this. Because here's what Manasseh did. When his daddy died, he became king. And this is what Manasseh did. He tore down everything that had to do with God and his daddy.

He was an angry elf. Yes, he was. He was a big angry elf. But he didn't stop at just tearing things down. Listen. It's okay. It's just a ginger walking. Focus up here. Okay? By the way, he played the guitar good.

They'll take a lot of time and take paper towels and sew them together and make little dolls that say, Jesus is a homo. You know why? Because they're angry. They're very angry. They're angry at you. And they're angry at God.

Watch this. This is one of my favorites. Is this the one? Oh, no. We have so many of these. Here we go. A little poster. So cute. The Attributes of God. Watch this. He accepted people no matter what. Well, I guess hell's empty, right?

See, what they start doing is rationalizing God's Word to make it fit your own comfort level so you can do what you want to do rather than obey a sovereign God. Guys, God doesn't accept everyone just the way they are.

He'll accept you where you're at, but he demands you to grow. Well, God will forgive me. I can do what I want. Okay, slut, you can keep living the way you're living. Keep gaining that scar tissue on your heart.

Keep storing up wrath and acrimony for one day your future husband who's going to walk in a land mine field and not know why you're that crazy. Or you can repent and submit to God and find the healing and the grace that you so desperately need.

Parents, you can stop being hypocrites and actually start living the holy life you actually expected to man from your children. That would be cool, wouldn't it? I mean, right away you've got to be psyched about that.

So Manasseh is tearing stuff down, but he didn't stop there. Now, this is going to be very grotesque for some of y 'all, and I apologize, but you've got to understand they were more barbaric back then than we are in this civilized state.

You know what he wanted to do? He said, we really, really need to praise the God Moloch. So here's what we're going to do. We're going to take our children and offer them as living sacrifices to the God.

This is Manasseh raised up in church. And so he burned them alive. His own sons were offered up as burnt offerings. If you'd like to, I can explain exactly how that happened, but it would probably ruin your day.

But the part of the ceremony was this, is that you couldn't praise that false God. Only the screams of a torturous death would be acceptable to that God. And so they would all sit around in their church service listening to the screams of children being burned alive to praise and worship the God Moloch.

See, we're not like that anymore. See, like tomorrow, check this out. Tomorrow, in the United States of America, 3 ,000 children are going to be burned alive in their mother's womb and then ripped apart.

But I don't want to get too political or anything because there might be Republicans or Democrats in here. I don't want to offend anybody, but with the truth, we in the United States of America, one nation under God, are looking just like the history in the past.

Manasseh did this. Not only was he burning children alive, but he did something really cool. He walked into the church, the temple, and he took an image of an idol that was his favorite, and he stuck it up right in the middle of the temple because he was basically telling God and his daddy because he was an angry elf.

And the more he could hurt God and the more he could hurt his daddy, the better that he would feel. But, listen, come here, especially some of you old bitter hags. Listen to me. Listen. Your anger that looks like it's directed at everybody else, guess who you're really angry at.

And this isn't Freudian. It's human. Guess who you're really angry at? The person you look at the mirror every day. It's hilarious. When I do counseling, I have chicks sit in my office, and sometimes I bring out a mirror and I hold it up and I go, tell me what you see.

And it's hilarious. They'll sit there and they'll go, they'll look straight down. And tears will start rolling out of their eyes. Snot will start rolling out of their nose. And they'll start moving on the chair, on the couch, without ever moving their feet, because their rear end grew legs.

And they said, I can't look in that mirror. And I go, what's all over your face and now running down your cheeks? Mascara. How did you put that on today? In a mirror? Usually on I -40? You see, in their little brains, it's hilarious.

In human beings, we have this power to adapt to sin. We'll over, we'll whitewash it, we'll rationalize it, we'll explain it away. And the whole time it's storing up anger, not from God, but from our own selves, because we're rebelling against the very creator who created us to be his children.

See, your anger and your frustration is not at religion. It's not because you were hurt in church or any of that other excuses that you come up with. You're angry at yourself because you're in rebellion against God.

And any human being in rebellion against God cannot know peace. And what you're really searching for is peace. Are y 'all with me? Some of y 'all are angry at me right now. That's okay. It's cool. Trust me.

And let me salve you for a second. I'm going to go home tonight, and I'm going to pray, and I'm going to turn on The Office on my red one. What's the red one called? Netflix. Right? I'm going to play on my iPad and read as Jim and Dwight do their stupid things.

And then probably about 12, 30, my eyes are going to grow heavy, and I'm going to go to sleep. And I'm going to sleep just as good tonight as I did last night. And here's why. For I know whom I have believed in, and I am persuaded that He is able to keep all of that which I have committed unto Him against that day.

Meaning, I'm free. Let me tell you the last bit of Manasseh's story from history. Manasseh got so big in his britches, he looked to the king of Assyria. Remember us talking about Assyria? Right? Here.

And he said, I ain't paying you another dime, dig. My armies are so bad. We are so tough. We got ninja ranger navy seals. Right? I used to teach martial arts. Hannah can tell about this. I used to teach martial arts, and it was funny.

Every summer I'd have some guy who was going into the seals, a ranger, a green beret, a death stalking, you know, and they were usually the biggest wimps in the gym. You know, after ten push-ups, like, ahhh!

Those guys. But I got that army. And Assyria said, really? And came in and wiped out Israel's army. They took Manasseh, and they put fish hooks in him, and they said, come with us. You can read it. It's there in 2 Chronicles.

And they pulled him away to Assyria. They put him in a dungeon. And you know what Manasseh did? What some of you in here need to do. Manasseh's anger and pride and arrogance and hurt and insecurity came to a head where he realized that without God, he was nothing.

I'm going to read it to you. We'll be done after this. It's okay. We'll get home for pot roast. And it'll be dry if Mercedes made it. Watch. 2 Chronicles. My ribbon's not working. 2 Chronicles chapter 33 in verse 10.

The little angry Christian boy, the little Baptist guy who walked down the aisle when he was ten or got saved at YFC or Vacation Bible School, but he really never got saved. But the preacher dumped him anyways because he looks good.

Everybody yelled amen. No one discipled him. Found out that he really wasn't saved. You know, it was just typical church. As long as everybody was doing good on the outside, it didn't matter. They were all dead on the inside.

You know what I'm saying? Some of you? Yeah. Okay. Watch this. Right. Verse 11. So he brought against them the military commanders of the kingdom of Assyria. They captured Manasseh with hooks, bound him in bronze shackles, and took him back to Babylon.

When he was in distress, he sought the favor of Yahweh his God and earnestly... Listen. Watch this word. ...prayed for Jesus Christ to come into his heart as Lord and Savior. Oh, no. I'm sorry. He humbled himself.

Wow. And before God of his ancestors, he prayed to him. And God, he heard his petition and granted his request and brought him back to Jerusalem, to his kingdom. So Manasseh came to know... Listen to this last verse.

So Manasseh came to know that Yahweh was God. Here's what he learned. Manasseh wasn't God. Yahweh was God. You understand? Some of you in this room really think you're in control. You really think you're in control.

You really are making choices because you think you can figure it out, skate by, make it. You're more interested in satisfying the sin of your heart than worshiping the King of kings and Lord of lords.

Now, I want to show you how you know Manasseh's life changed. Watch this. And guys, it's only 12 .35. Focus just for a second. I'll be done. I promise. I'll be a good pastor. Okay? Watch. And there ain't no games today, so what are you stressed about?

Guys, watch this. You see, some people will come down the aisle because they feel really bad about something they've done really bad. In other words, they feel guilt, but they don't feel conviction. Right?

And they'll come down and they'll say, Pastor, I see dear Jesus come into my heart and save me. Amen. Yes, I am openly mocking that. Yes. Because here's what happens after they pray that prayer. Nothing.

Nothing. There's no change in your life. Guys, listen to me, please. And I don't care how sincerely you're convinced because your mama stroked your hair and just wept over you and was so happy when you got baptized.

If there's not a change in your life, you cannot be saved. 2 Corinthians 3 .16. What's it say? No, 5 .17. What's it say? It says, If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away.

Behold, all have become new. If you haven't changed, you haven't met God. You cannot be the same godless, heathen pig that you were beforehand without God seriously going, Hey! Hey! Hey! Right? Pastor, that's a private matter between me and God.

No, it's not. It's public because it's published about 20 billion times in the world. You're not there. Watch what Manasseh does. He gets out of jail and he doesn't go home and go, You know, I've been bad, so I want to make a mea culpa.

Look what he does. Verse, what is that? I can't read that. 15? Yeah, whatever. He removed the foreign gods and idols from the Lord's temple along with all the altars he had built on the mountain of the Lord's temple and in Jerusalem, and he threw them outside of the city.

He built the altar of the Lord and offered fellowship and thankful offerings on it. Here's how some of you people in here think and worship God. Man, I really wish Andrew would pick better songs. That's your mentality.

Why are you worshipping God? So guess what? Are you really worshipping God? Or are you worshipping what you want? Which means, guess who's God in your world? You are. Now, some of you don't like to feel this uncomfortable on a Sunday morning.

And some of y 'all are embarrassed because it makes it awkward. I don't care. Because I would rather speak the truth of the life-changing message of Jesus Christ, so that one more soul is not adding to the cacophony of screams and hell than to be your best friend.

You hear me? This feeling that you're having, that conviction on your heart, isn't from a preacher. I cannot do anything for you. The same spirit of God that's in me is the same spirit of God that's in Starburst's head over here.

Okay? I'm nothing special. People like preachers. Preachers are just like you. Okay? We have exhaust fans in our bathroom too. Alright? Guys, listen to me. There's only one thing that's going to help you.

And that's your humility and repentance. And it's funny. The same thing in the Old Testament God said you need to be saved is the same thing in the New Testament. It's the same thing!