THE BIBLE-TEACHING MINISTRY OF CHARLES R. SWINDOLL
About Us | Contact Us | Change Location
In the first seven chapters of the gospel of Matthew, we immediately percieve how Jesus is no normal king from the annals of history. From His messianic genealogy and the miraculous conception to His commissioning baptism, victory over Satan's temptations, and authoritative teaching—everything about the beginning of Jesus' earthly life shouts, "God has arrived!" If Jesus' arrival teaches us anything, it teaches us that God does not forget His promises.
01) Let's Meet the King 02) The Genesis of Jesus 03) Try Standing in Joseph's Sandals 04) Wise Men, Wicked Men ... and Us 05) Destination-Driven Dreams 06) Strange Preacher ... Strong Proclamation 07) Surprised by Jesus 08) Acing the Devil's Tests 09) Where and How It All Began 10) The Sermon of All Sermons 11) Checklist for Lasting Joy 12) Shake and Shine! 13) Crucial Truths, Rarely Understood 14) Steering Clear of Murder 15) Whatever Happened to Fidelity and Honesty? 16) Shocking Advice to the Selfish and Strong-willed 17) Beware! Religious Performance Now Showing 18) Prayer and Fasting Minus All the Pizzazz 19) The Lure of a Lesser Loyalty 20) Our Favourite Sin 21) Attention, All Speck Inspectors 22) Pearls, Pigs, Prayers, and People 23) Three Non-Politically Correct Warnings 24) The Secret of an Unsinkable Life
01) Let's Meet the King
Selections from Matthew
In this flyover of Matthew’s gospel, Pastor Chuck Swindoll prepares you for a fresh look at King Jesus.
As a disciple, and a former keen-eyed tax-collector, Matthew gives us an intimate and carefully crafted portrait of Israel’s Messiah who came as the Son of God and whose resurrection made Him the Lord of history.
Get the big picture of Matthew’s account—from Jesus’ arrival to His Great Commission—in this opening sermon of Pastor Chuck’s series titled The King of Kings: A Study of Matthew.
02) The Genesis of Jesus
Matthew 1:1–17
Far from a boring drudgery of meaningless names, Jewish genealogies authenticated one’s very identity. Genealogies in the first century gave weight to a person’s status.
As a Jew, then, who is writing to Jews, Matthew opens his gospel with Jesus’ genealogy. Think of it as a parade of the Who’s Who of ancient Israelite history.
Pastor Chuck Swindoll brings to life this list of names that not only demonstrates the Messianic lineage of King Jesus but teaches how the grace of God writes us into His royal family.
03) Try Standing in Joseph's Sandals
Matthew 1:18–25
From just a brief appearance in a few verses that cover the beginning of Jesus’ life, we learn a great deal about the man, Joseph, who would raise heaven’s Son as his own.
Joseph exuded humility and faith as he fully obeyed God’s leading even though he never fully understood it.
Develop a new appreciation for Mary’s husband, her greatest advocate, and learn how to follow God in difficult circumstances.
04) Wise Men, Wicked Men ... and Us
Matthew 2:1–12
How ironic that it would be non-Jewish men from distant lands who searched out Jesus’ arrival to offer Him gifts and bow before Him in worship.
Scholarly Jews acted indifferently toward Jesus’ advent. King Herod, the half-Jew, acted with fear and hostility.
Pastor Chuck Swindoll sweeps away the dust of tradition that has clouded this familiar Scripture passage to give you a fresh portrait of the significance of the wise men from the East.
05) Destination-Driven Dreams
Matthew 2:13–23
No less than four times Matthew records that God spoke to Joseph in a dream to tell him what he needed to know and direct him in what he needed to do.
Each time, Joseph humbly trusted and obeyed as he protected Jesus from harm.
God’s will can seem sudden as well as surprising or confusing. But it’s always worth following. To help you follow God’s will today, Pastor Chuck Swindoll explores how Joseph followed God’s will back then.
06) Strange Preacher ... Strong Proclamation
Matthew 3:1–10
To help launch Jesus’ ministry, God deliberately did not send a religious professional wearing sleek clothing and speaking smooth words.
No, God sent John the Baptizer—who dressed in camel’s skin and ate locusts—to be the forerunner of the Son of God.
Discover God’s genius in choosing John and feel the urgency of John’s ancient call that still speaks today.
07) Surprised by Jesus
Matthew 3:11–17
Of all the possible ways Jesus could have begun His ministry, He stepped in line with others at the Jordan River to be baptized by John. But why?
Pastor Chuck Swindoll exposits this mysterious passage to help you see how necessary it was for Jesus to receive John’s baptism and how the event climaxed with the Father’s thunderous approval along with the Spirit’s heavenly descent.
08) Acing the Devil's Tests
Matthew 4:1–11
Coming off an emotional high at His baptism, Jesus immediately sought the Father’s presence by fasting alone in the wilderness of Judea. At the end, Satan tested Him.
Never was Jesus more vulnerable than after forty days of fasting. At the same time, never was there a better chance for Him to prove He truly is the Father’s Beloved Son clothed with the Spirit’s power . . . worthy of the ministry before Him.
Listen in to learn how Jesus passed the test and let His example give you wisdom and strength for those times when Satan puts you to the test.
09) Where and How It All Began
Matthew 4:12–25
After acing Satan’s test, Jesus began His ministry heralding the exact words John heralded . . . “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.”
Crowds from all over Galilee swarmed around Jesus to hear His message and see, or receive, His miracles. He singled out a few to be His special followers, disciples, who would then spend the next several years alongside this most unique of rabbis.
Join Pastor Chuck Swindoll as he explores where and how the public ministry of King Jesus began.
10) The Sermon of All Sermons
Selections from Matthew 5–7
Subject after subject after subject exploded with fresh meaning as Jesus addressed each with just a few comments. He had no need to quote other self-professed authorities. Afterall, Jesus, as King of heaven, knew better than any about the kingdom of heaven.
Get a glimpse of the key themes that thread this sermon-of-sermons. Pastor Chuck Swindoll shares how the kingdom shatters religious hypocrisy and performance while centering on the King Himself who unfolds the path to true happiness, effective living, and intimacy with God.
11) Checklist for Lasting Joy
Matthew 5:1–12
Are we doomed to settle for the fleeting happiness the world dishes out to us or that which we can wrest from it?
Jesus utters a resounding NO! A new and better way exists. And that new and better way is in Christ who invites us to partake of His power today as we yield to His loving rule.
Pastor Chuck Swindoll explains how Jesus’ iconic list of blessings, the Beatitudes, comes to us not as actions to do but as Spirit-driven attitudes to embrace and embody so we can experience lasting joy.
12) Shake and Shine!
Matthew 5:13–16
No one needs convincing that we live in a dangerous world enmeshed in spiritual darkness and moral decay. So how should we as God’s children live in such a world?
Jesus told His followers not to embrace the world . . . nor to sprint away from it. He charges us all to shake and shine our way through life as spiritual salt and light.
In his sermon on Matthew 5:13–16, Pastor Chuck Swindoll unfolds Jesus’ powerful charge to encourage you to live out this ancient yet timeless directive today.
13) Crucial Truths, Rarely Understood
Matthew 5:17–20
Does Jesus’ arrival mean we can trash the Old Testament and the law?
Hardly! Jesus told us He came to fulfill the law rather than abolish it. He revealed that keeping excessive human traditions layered on top of the law missed the whole intent of the law.
Listen to Pastor Chuck Swindoll’s sermon on Matthew 5:17–20 to discover how Christians should think about the Scriptures and the nature of true obedience to God.
14) Steering Clear of Murder
Matthew 5:21–26
Jesus immediately unfolds what He meant when He stated our righteousness must go deeper than the meticulous rule-abiding Pharisees.
True righteousness begins within. Likewise, unrighteousness begins within us. So Jesus made the astonishing statement that God counts hatred as murder.
Pastor Chuck Swindoll traces Jesus’ argument in Matthew 5:21–26 to help us see how kingdom-living begins in the heart, how anger has far reaching consequences, and how the radical spiritual power of reconciliation is stronger than revenge.
15) Whatever Happened to Fidelity and Honesty?
Matthew 5:27–37
Are fidelity and honesty the outdated virtues from bygone eras? Or do they carry weight and relevance even in our day of technological advancement?
As it turns out, Jesus Himself emphasized just how vital these values are for anyone who desires to obey God, reflecting His character as His image-bearer.
Tune in to Pastor Chuck Swindoll’s sermon on Matthew 5:27–37 to get a firm grip on these lifelong principles.
16) Shocking Advice to the Selfish and Strong-Willed
Matthew 5:38–48
Jesus continues His radical teaching on what it means to obey God from the heart—even as we inhabit a world that couldn’t care less about God and His ways.
So how should we respond when someone, uninvited, obnoxiously involves him or herself in our business?
Follow Pastor Chuck Swindoll as he walks through Jesus’ shocking statements for dealing with situations like these . . . and more!
17) Beware! Religious Performance Now Showing
Matthew 6:1–8
In Matthew 6:1–8, Jesus teaches how we are to directly engage with God. The religious highbrows of Jesus’ day gave, prayed, and fasted for the sake of demonstrating to others their spiritual devotion and superiority.
How ridiculous! They used sacred practices to polish their public image instead of pursuing the presence of God.
Pastor Chuck Swindoll unfolds the essence of Jesus’ warnings to help us avoid the deadly trap of religious performance so we can have true interaction with and enjoyment of the God who made us and loves us.
18) Prayer and Fasting Minus All the Pizzazz
Matthew 6:9–18
In the previous sermon, Pastor Chuck Swindoll discussed Jesus’ teaching of how not to express our devotion to God. Now, we turn our attention to Jesus’ directives for genuine piety.
True piety, according to Jesus, requires zero pizzazz and begins with a pure heart and right intentions before moving into the proper method of execution.
Sharpen your understanding of authentic Christianity and deepen your prayer life with Pastor Chuck’s sermon on Matthew 6:9–18.
19) The Lure of a Lesser Loyalty
Matthew 6:19–24
Many in our world tend to blur the relationship between God and money, as though wealth reflects God’s special favor. These people believe that God’s chief aim for our lives is the unending accumulation of earthly goods.
Others hold a completely opposite view, claiming that money itself is the root of all evil . . . not the “love of money” (1 Timothy 6:10).
With straight talk, Jesus clears away the confusion regarding God’s view of possessions. Join Pastor Chuck Swindoll as he shares how we can get a biblical handle on this important part of life.
20) Our Favourite Sin
Matthew 6:25–34
Can you imagine a day when you are both fully conscious and free of worry?
Well, in His teaching about the kingdom in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus offers more than merely a day of priceless bliss . . . He offers a lifestyle of internal steadiness. It rests not on ignorance or slumber. But on Spirit-empowered faith in a good God who watches over your every minute.
Pastor Chuck Swindoll shows you how to combat anxiety with biblical simplicity.
21) Attention, All Speck Inspectors
Matthew 7:1–5
If worrying is one of our favorite sins, then judging must be one of our favorite pastimes. While worry often reflects a lack of trust in God, judging often reflects a lack of love and acceptance of others.
In his last sermon on Matthew 6:25–34, Pastor Chuck Swindoll walked us through Jesus’ teaching to help us fight anxiety. Now, preaching on Matthew 7:1–5, he directs our attention to Jesus’ teaching on judging to help us rid ourselves of a biting, critical spirit so we can truly restore others in a spirit of love and acceptance.
22) Pearls, Pigs, Prayers, and People
Matthew 7:6–12
In his sermon on Matthew 7:6–12, Pastor Chuck Swindoll reveals three gems of Jesus’ insightful teaching.
Not everyone is ready to hear spiritual truth, so we need to discern our audience. Not every prayer receives an immediate or evident answer, so we need to persist in our requests to God. All people share divinely endowed dignity, so we should do to others as we would have them do to us.
What a way to live! Be encouraged by Pastor Chuck’s practical teaching on such radical living.
23) Three Non-Politically Correct Warnings
Matthew 7:13–23
Jesus couldn’t have cared less about being politically correct at the expense of spiritual truth, and His statements in Matthew 7:13–23 reveal just that!
He urged all people to guard against false teachers who speak for God without knowing Him. Likewise, He warned against taking just any spiritual road despite its failure to lead to spiritual fruit.
Pastor Chuck Swindoll guides you through these controversial verses so you can steer clear of phony preachers and deadly paths.
24) The Secret of an Unsinkable Life
Matthew 7:24–29
Jesus ended with a bang in His Sermon on the Mount, the sermons of all sermons. In it, He creates a crisis of the will . . . for all of us.
Each person, by the mere fact of living, builds a spiritual house. Our moral and spiritual decisions reflect the foundation. By following Jesus’ words, we build on rock. By rejecting Jesus’ words, we build on sand. When storms come—and they always do—they blast against our house revealing the foundation laid.
Join Pastor Chuck Swindoll in this final sermon on Jesus’ iconic teaching, so you can live with the confidence of the wise builder—firm upon the foundation of God and strong amid the storms.