There’s Just Something About that Name Peter Fitch, St. Croix Vineyard Sunday, June 16, 2013

New Study Everyone can play Go to and hit Simply Jesus under Events on left hand side of home pagewww.scvine.com Read the Simply Jesus portions and/or the Gospel selections Write down answers to questions Write down your own thoughts in a journal

Most Sundays, too A great time to focus on Jesus and think “What does it mean to follow Him?” Churches have done this well and badly—can we gain some insight on which is which?

An interesting way in... Why does Jesus heal people and ask them not to tell? Wouldn’t He want people to know who He is? Best place to examine this question is Matthew 12

Matthew 12: He left that place and entered their synagogue; 10 a man was there with a withered hand, and they asked him, “Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath?” so that they might accuse him. 11 He said to them, “Suppose one of you has only one sheep and it falls into a pit on the sabbath; will you not lay hold of it and lift it out?

Matthew 12: How much more valuable is a human being than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the sabbath.”13 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and it was restored, as sound as the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.

Matthew 12: When Jesus became aware of this, he departed. Many crowds followed him, and he cured all of them, 16 and he ordered them not to make him known. 17 This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah: 18 “Here is my servant, whom I have chosen...

Something in this passage that answers the question... Jesus is intentionally fulfilling the description of God’s Servant that is found in the last part of Isaiah Let’s look at the passage from there

Isaiah 42:1-4 Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations. 2 He will not cry out or raise His voice, Nor make His voice heard in the street. 3 A bruised reed He will not break, And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice. 4 He will not be disheartened or crushed Until He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law.

Questions What are the characteristics of a ministry that God loves? What implications are there in this passage for history? Do we believe it? Material from Learning to Interpret Toward Love

Back to Isaiah 42 What would our church look like if we had these characteristics in place? What would your life look like? How will you make steps to grow in this direction?