Sunday Sermon Summary – Jan 25 2026

Transitions 

Matthew 4: 12 – 22

Just after His baptism our Lord Jesus Christ was driven to the wilderness by the Spirit to be tempted for forty days.  Soon after that He returned victoriously to begin His public ministry. There was a transition in every area of His ministry. 

1.  Place 

Matthew 4: 13, 14

The first thing Jesus did was to change his place of abode.  The Bible says that He left Nazareth and lived in Galilee therefore fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah.  Our Lord has shown us that God, in His divine plan for us will bring about changes. Some changes will be exciting; but some may seem painful.  When we go through a transition of place or position, we may feel confused. Nevertheless, our Lord shows us that God is in control of everything we go through. All we need to do is to thankfully accept the changes that come our way and trust God to guide us through the changes. Changes may even include a transition in our health or the position we hold dearly.  The Lord wants us to exercise faith, which is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen. 

2.  Preaching 

Matthew 4: 17

The Jews were used to the preachings of the Pharisees and the Scribes. The Bible says that Jesus did not teach as the Pharisees and Scribes. He preached with authority.  There was a transition in His preaching. Scripture says that Jesus began to preach that the Kingdom of heaven is near. Even the Old Testament does not display such a teaching. People always kept hearing about temporal blessings. Jesus said, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all other things will follow.”  We God’s people must focus on eternal things and temporal things will just fall in place. 

3.  Power 

Matthew 4: 19, 20

Jesus went ahead to call His first disciples.  He just commanded them to follow Him.  Before Jesus, people chose to follow a leader.  People chose to follow a philosophy; but Jesus said, “Follow me.”  He changed Simon’s name to Peter which means Rock and told him to be a fisher of people. He also called John and his brother James, and they left the net they were repairing and left their father and followed Jesus. Our Lord commands us to follow Him. He will use us according to His will. Every follower of Jesus has a divine calling in the kingdom of God. Jesus’ ministry was showcasing His power as well.  Jesus healed the sick. He cast out demons and preached with authority. 

May our Lord help us to willingly accept transitions as God allows them in our lives and walk by faith and not by sight.  Amen