Luke pt. 45: The Importance of Examining our Faith

INTRO

· Making our way through Luke, almost done I promise. 2 more chapters

· Starting here with the account of the Passover celebration with the disciples, we start on a string of events that is recorded in each gospel.

· Even though the plan of our salvation can seem so obvious and straight forward to us now, the disciples had different expectations. Political revolution, war, free state of Israel.

· Jesus continues to reveal his true mission here on earth. This had been the plan the whole time, but now it’s here.

· What we are going to learn this week: 1) why communion is important, 2) why we participate in communion, and 3) why it is important that we continually examine our faith.

· Last week, we learned the plot to kill Jesus is in motion

7 Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. 8 Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.”

· Passover, the highest Jewish holiday, it was the story of God sparing the Israelites because of the blood of the lamb.

· The tenth and final plague that God inflicted upon Pharaoh, the angel of death killed every first born son.

· The Israelites were told to sacrifice a young lamb, without blemish

· God looked upon the blood of the lamb on the door and spared them.

· reminder that Christ was under the law, did not neglect its commands, like celebrating high Jewish holidays.

· Only perfect man that ever lived, able to meet the rigorous standard of the mosaic law.

9 “Where do you want us to prepare for it?” they asked. 10 He replied, “As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters, 11 and say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 12 He will show you a large room upstairs, all furnished. Make preparations there.” 13 They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.

· Jesus knows exactly what the plan is, every little detail. Here, and regarding our salvation.

· The disciples found it was all true, just like he said it would be

· “Blind faith” is sort of a misnomer. Jesus makes his case over and over why we should trust him. This is more Evidence for the rest of the gospel, things go the way he said they would go.

· Important to focus on this point. Jesus could have told them exactly what house to go to. Instead he tells them to find a random man who will lead them.

· Jesus teaches them they need to rely on divine providence, in dependence of him. we should engage in the same process of dependent learning, being true disciples of Jesus.

· Do you depend on God’s divine providence? How much of your life do you hold on to, and want to run yourself? This has dire consequences.

· “Is there some part of his life where he is consciously resisting… the commandment of Jesus. Is there some part of your life which you are refusing to surrender, some sinful passion, some hope, ambition or reason? If so you may not be surprised to find… that prayer is difficult, or that your request for faith remains unanswered” -Bonhoeffer

· I hold on to my future. Planning for where I want to be, when I want to retire, where to live. We gotta let go!

· A part of your life not surrendered to Jesus can lead to a lack of faith, and even a lack of God’s grace, indicating the absence of the holy spirit!

14 When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. 15 And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” 17 After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. 18 For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”

· vs 15, Jesus eagerly wanted to do this! It started his suffering, but also the salvation and redemption of mankind.

· vs 16, with Christ as the sacrificial lamb, he says we will not need to eat the unleavened feast again, he fulfilled it and completed the atonement. Jesus is our Passover.

· 1 Corinthians 5:7 “Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.”

· the Passover was a foreshadowing, Jesus is the fulfillment of what a sacrifice is all about.

19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.

· Common communion passage, it establishes the sacrament that we partake in!

· sacrament is something ordained by Christ, that is a symbol of spiritual reality

· Augustine of Hippo said it is an “outward sign of an inward grace”. similar to baptism.

· Not salvific, but a demonstration of the accomplished grace.

· Only two sacraments universally accepted in the Christian church. A confession of how we give over control.

· There was a normal script that the head of the table would recite.

· v19, “this is my body, given for you”. Weird! Not part of Passover. He is the offering. References Leviticus 21:8 ” Regard them as holy, because they offer up the food of your God. Consider them holy, because I the LORD am holy”.

· Jesus did not use the normal meaning of the Passover elements, he reinterpreted them.

· why participation is important. We get to sit and enjoy a meal with him.

· so we do this as a witness, a confirmation of the promise he made. declarative bond that we partake in his broken body.

· v19 “do this in remembrance of me”. A clear cut command. We see the disciples do this throughout Acts 2:42 “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”

· Jesus tells us to do this until he comes back, not for a season. Also a looking forward to his return. Because we do believe he is coming back.

· v20, “new covenant” implies there is an old covenant. There were several actually, with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David.

· Some of these are conditional, some unconditional. Some to Israel, others to all mankind.

· this new covenant is for everyone, he has been broken for us. not a trashing of the old. progressive revelations with each new one.

· this new one fulfills all old covenants. Jesus came not to break, but to fulfill. It is the apex of god’s promise!

· This is why we want to keep it fresh, less of a ritual, and more of a purposeful celebration. A gift we’ve been given. Not something to do without recognizing the importance of it.

21 But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table. 22 The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed. But woe to that man who betrays him!” 23 They began to question among themselves which of them it might be who would do this.

· We read last week that Satan had already overtaken Judas. Again, there is nothing Jesus doesn’t know.

· Judas just performed the ceremony and customs of the law, being fully turned against the Lord in hatred!

· words and Actions might plausibly profess religion, but his heart was corrupt and evil.

· There are those who have taken the bread and the cup, who have professed Christ, and still betrayed Him.

· Have you given control to God?

· v23, they questioned themselves. They inspected their own faith. this is part of why we do communion every week.

· to check our relationship with Jesus, to examine our faith.

· Paul says inspect your faith. 2 Cor 13:5 ” Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you–unless, of course, you fail the test?”

· It is something we need to constantly ask ourselves. This ritual drives us to a point of self-examination.

· As followers of Jesus we need to make this a lifestyle.

Summary

· Jesus impressed on his disciples a dependence on him. As disciples, we are to live the same way. There is no such thing as an independent disciple.

· It can seriously impact our faith and belief when we hold on to control in our lives.

· Communion celebrates what Jesus purposefully accomplished. It is an opportunity to regularly experience his sacrifice.

· Judas was going through the motions, the results are the same if we just go through the motions. It leads to death.

Application

· How are you trusting God? One thing to say it. Another to do it. with your money? with your relationships? with your plans?

· What are you not trusting Him for?

· How do you examine your faith? Do you have purposeful practices in your life that cause self-examination of what is hopefully your most treasured possession.

· How can we see communion for more of what it is? Do you see it as important? Should it be?

/by

Luke Pt. 44 ‘Contentment Not confusion / Faith Not Fear

Luke 21:20-38 & 22:1-6

Jesus continues His teaching that is parallel prophecies… His earthly time was coming to a close…each word and action was purposeful. He knew there was everything on the line: Those who obey His Word would find redemption, those who do not: destruction. Christ wants His followers to be content with what we know about His return. We don’t need to be confused with a lot of sequences and pseudo-signs… There’s not going to be anything for us to do other than look up and see our salvation! Christ calls us to live THIS life based on our faith & trust in our ETERNAL life. We don’t live preoccupied with holding on to this life. We certainly don’t live like this life as if this life is all there is. We live unto for and united with Jesus Christ; not protect or prolong THIS Life! As if we could add a minute to our lives by worry… (Jesus @ Luke 12 & Matthew 6) Contentment with His coming & trust for His plans should mark us as Christ’s people.

20 “And when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then you will know that the time of its destruction has arrived. 21 Then those in Judea must flee to the hills. Those in Jerusalem must get out, and those out in the country should not return to the city.

  • Verses before this speak of the persecutions that will occur in book of Acts
  • The next time Jerusalem will be attacked is when Rome destroys it in 70 AD
  • 70 AD: Christians in Jerusalem & nearby obeyed Christ’s words and survived

22 For those will be days of God’s vengeance, and the prophetic words of the Scriptures will be fulfilled. 23 How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing mothers in those days. For there will be disaster in the land and great anger against this people.

  • Many prophecies of doom for Jerusalem for turning away from God
  • This is the 2nd time God will destroy Jerusalem in Judgement (second chance)
  • Heart wrenching brutality will be visited on the inhabitants of Jerusalem
  • God’s anger is justified by God’s standards (‘This People’ / ‘Covenant Nation’)

24 They will be killed by the sword or sent away as captives to all the nations of the world. And Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles until the period of the Gentiles comes to an end.

  • Judgement for the corruption of the Temple
  • What has happened to the Jews since the destruction of Jerusalem?
  • Jerusalem captured and recaptured 15 times since 70 AD / every 135 yrs

25 “And there will be strange signs in the sun, moon, and stars. And here on earth the nations will be in turmoil, perplexed by the roaring seas and strange tides. 26 People will be terrified at what they see coming upon the earth, for the powers in the heavens will be shaken.

  • Shifting from 70 AD to the end of ‘The Age of the Gentiles’ / Church Age
  • Unmistakable cosmic events will usher in the end (but for how long?)
  • Fundamental changes in the oceans, things that have never happened
  • Great fear and foreboding will grip people because of the upheaval in nature
  • …And then!

27 Then everyone will see the Son of Man coming on a cloud with power and great glory. 28 So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!”

  • Christ’s return will be seen by all in a universal, world wide supernatural event!
  • Those who know Christ will recognize the author of your salvation
  • When ‘All These Things

29 Then he gave them this illustration: “Notice the fig tree, or any other tree. 30 When the leaves come out, you know without being told that summer is near. 31 In the same way, when you see all these things taking place, you can know that the Kingdom of God is near.

  • God’s world has ways that it follows every time (seasons)
  • Reliable as seasons changing: so the end of this age will be after these signs

32 I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene until all these things have taken place. 33 Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.

  • Do not mistake this: ‘This Generation’ is a synonym for ‘Age of The Gentiles’
  • This world as we know it will come to an end, but what God says is eternal

34 “Watch out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life. Don’t let that day catch you unaware, 35 like a trap. For that day will come upon everyone living on the earth. 36 Keep alert at all times. And pray that you might be strong enough to escape these coming horrors and stand before the Son of Man.”

  • Be on Guard! Be intentional in how you live! Don’t waste the time you have!
  • Today is the day to start living more fully for God!
  • Thinking you will always have time is a lie! No guarantee of another minute!
  • If you are alive it is possible for you to see Christ’s return
  • “Look busy, the boss is coming!”
  • This End could happen in your lifetime, pray for God Given strength stand firm
  • Keeping alert is focusing on your relationship with Christ
  • Standing before Him means: surrendered to and belonging to HIM

37 Every day Jesus went to the Temple to teach, and each evening he returned to spend the night on the Mount of Olives. 38 The crowds gathered at the Temple early each morning to hear him. 1 The Festival of Unleavened Bread, which is also called Passover, was approaching. 2 The leading priests and teachers of religious law were plotting how to kill Jesus, but they were afraid of the people’s reaction.

  • Jesus establishes a routine that will enable Judas to guide the Jews to Him
  • The Passover begins Thursday @ sundown
  • They should be focused on worshiping God not eliminating their competition

3 Then Satan entered into Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve disciples, 4 and he went to the leading priests and captains of the Temple guard to discuss the best way to betray Jesus to them. 5 They were delighted, and they promised to give him money. 6 So he agreed and began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus so they could arrest him when the crowds weren’t around.

  • This is demonic ‘possession’. Judas was not protected by the Holy Spirit
  • He somehow knew these men cared more about their power than God
  • They figured money would be more important to Judas than loyalty
  • They both knew they had to avoid the crowds…

SUMMARY:

Jesus foretold Jerusalem’s destruction; tying it to God’s judgement foretold in scripture & to warn His followers.

Christ foretells the unmistakable signs of His return at the end of this age.

Jesus is repeatedly clear about the world-wide supernatural event of His return.

Christ’s words are eternal truth, the signs He described MUST happen before He returns.

Jesus commands His people to focus on HIS priorities; not personal, worldly desires.

Christ calls us to stay connected to Him so we can be prepared for His return.

Scripture teaches that God was in charge of all the events that resulted in Christ’s Crucifixion.

APPLICATION:

What are some lessons for Christ’s followers in the destruction of Jerusalem?

Why is it important to be well versed on what Jesus says about His return?

What does it look like for you to keep your heart from becoming ‘Dull’?

Why does God want us to know what happened to setup Christ’s betrayal?

/by

Luke Pt. 43: What Does YOUR Future Hold?

Sacrificial worship in light of eternity.

What does the future hold? When I say future, do you think next year, 10yrs, 20yrs? Do you think about the end of this world as ‘The Future’?Knowing what we do about the future, what is important? Right now, today. Christ gives us information about what lies ahead and He also gives us guidance for the here and now of our relationship with God.

Luke 21:1-19

21 While Jesus was in the Temple, he watched the rich people dropping their gifts in the collection box. 2 Then a poor widow came by and dropped in two small coins. 3 “I tell you the truth,” Jesus said, “this poor widow has given more than all the rest of them. 4 For they have given a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has.”

  • Jesus seems to have spent the better part of each day at the temple that week
  • Not just teaching but observing
  • He is pointing out what sacrificial worship looks like
  • Draws a clear distinction between sacrificial giving & ‘meaningless’ giving
  • If it doesn’t cost you something, it is not worth anything! = False Worship
  • No matter what the future holds, sacrificial giving should be a way of life for us

5 Some of his disciples began talking about the majestic stonework of the Temple and the memorial decorations on the walls. But Jesus said, 6 “The time is coming when all these things will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!”

  • The disciples demonstrate how quickly we get distracted
  • They voice popular sentiments of how awesome The Temple is
  • Christ is making the point that the Temple is not essential to God
  • God is going to allow it to be completely destroyed and not rebuilt to this day
  • In that time The Temple had replaced God as the object of worship (corruption)
  • ‘All these things’ amounts to the false worship that was going on @ The Temple

7 “Teacher,” they asked, “when will all this happen? What sign will show us that these things are about to take place?” 8 He replied, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and saying, ‘The time has come!’ But don’t believe them.

  • It is odd that they don’t ask WHY this will happen but instead WHEN
  • Christ warns of many…many have come, many more to come…
  • He warns us because the deception will come from false messiahs & prophets
  • If someone says the time has come, NEVER believe them

9 And when you hear of wars and insurrections, don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place first, but the end won’t follow immediately.” 10 Then he added, “Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be great earthquakes, and there will be famines and plagues in many lands, and there will be terrifying things and great miraculous signs from heaven.

  • The End He is speaking of is both the end of the Temple and this age
  • This world, like the Temple has a temporary use…
  • He list things that will happen…No one knows the sequence, except the Father
  • Great Earthquakes are accompanied by Miraculous signs from heaven

12 “But before all this occurs, there will be a time of great persecution. You will be dragged into synagogues and prisons, and you will stand trial before kings and governors because you are my followers.

  • Jesus was predicting the persecution that is chronicled in the book of Acts
  • He is also predicting what’s coming at the end of this age (parallel prophecy)

13 But this will be your opportunity to tell them about me. 14 So don’t worry in advance about how to answer the charges against you, 15 for I will give you the right words and such wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to reply or refute you!

  • Christ calls His followers to capitalize on the opportunity that persecution brings
  • We don’t need to to try to answer any charges, we are to speak by the Spirit
  • When Christ speaks through us, our persecutors will be speechless!
  • How do we prepare for this day? SACRIFICIAL WORSHIP

16 Even those closest to you—your parents, brothers, relatives, and friends—will betray you. They will even kill some of you. 17 And everyone will hate you because you are my followers. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish! 19 By standing firm, you will win your souls.

  • Anyone who is not indwelt by the Spirit of Christ can and will turn on you!
  • Without God’s Spirit you can be deceived and manipulated to do anything!
  • There will be unity of opposition to Jesus Christ in this world (see it even now)
  • The things of this world can only harm this body
  • Christ’s followers can be sure that their eternal souls belong to Him
  • The only thing that really matters in the future is who your soul belongs to!

SUMMARY:

Biblical worship involves sacrifice. Sacrificial worship is giving to God what is dear to you.

This prophecy is both about Jerusalem’s destruction in 70 AD and His return.

Jesus predicts the destruction of The Temple to pronounce Judgement on the Jewish Establishment / False Worship.

Christ foretells events that transpire before His return, and warns against false Messiahs.

Persecution & betrayal should be expected, our response is to stand firm & speak by Christ’s power.

Christ encourages His followers to trust that He will protect their eternal souls.

APPLICATION:

List some things you sacrifice by giving to God of your time, money and emotions.

What ideas do you have about when Christ is going to return and how He will come?

What is going to enable you to stand firm and speak by Christ’s Power when persecuted?

Why would you trust that Christ will protect YOUR eternal soul?

/by

Luke Pt. 42 Alive To God

Resurrection Based on The Christ

Luke 20:27-47

27 Then Jesus was approached by some Sadducees—religious leaders who say there is no resurrection from the dead. 28 They posed this question: “Teacher, Moses gave us a law that if a man dies, leaving a wife but no children, his brother should marry the widow and have a child who will carry on the brother’s name.”

  • They were sent to try to trip Him up…Sadducees = Rich Priestly Class
  • The Sadducees derived their power from their class, not learning
  • Their ‘Doctrine’ was that there is no resurrection of the dead… this life is it
  • They quote Moses to Christ…They only recognized Moses’ books as scripture

29 “Well, suppose there were seven brothers. The oldest one married and then died without children. 30 So the second brother married the widow, but he also died. 31 Then the third brother married her. This continued with all seven of them, who died without children. 32 Finally, the woman also died. 33 So tell us, whose wife will she be in the resurrection? For all seven were married to her!”

  • The extreme hypothetical situation was fabricated to make Jesus look foolish
  • Loosely resembles a story in the Apocryphal book of Tobit… 2 O.T. Examples
  • Their scenario views resurrection as an extension of this life
  • They thought they had the ‘Gotcha’ question!

34 Jesus replied, “Marriage is for people here on earth. 35 But in the age to come, those worthy of being raised from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage. 36 And they will never die again. In this respect they will be like angels. They are children of God and children of the resurrection.”

  • They are so focused on this life; not comprehending how different the next is
  • Jesus confirms A Resurrection that will constitute a whole new existence
  • He confirms there is No Universal Salvation
  • God decides who is worthy of The Resurrection, He raises them by on His Will
  • They will have an existence not requiring marriage; no need to reproduce
  • The Biblical Meaning of Marriage: It is for the purpose of procreation
  • ‘Immortal’ being, like angels in this respect (We will be different that angels too)

37 “But now, as to whether the dead will be raised—even Moses proved this when he wrote about the burning bush. Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, he referred to the Lord as ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ 38 So he is the God of the living, not the dead, for they are all alive to him.”

  • Jesus uses Moses to refute them (they cannot dismiss it out of hand)
  • You say you follow Moses but you don’t follow his teachings (same with Christ)
  • Moses wrote God’s view: that those who are truly alive to Him live forever!

39 “Well said, Teacher!” remarked some of the teachers of religious law who were standing there. 40 And then no one dared to ask him any more questions.

  • This would be Pharisees agreeing with Christ (teachers were not Sadducees)

41 Then Jesus presented them with a question. “Why is it,” he asked, “that the Messiah is said to be the son of David? 42 For David himself wrote in the book of Psalms: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, sit in the place of honor at my right hand 43 until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet.’ 44 Since David called the Messiah ‘Lord,’ how can the Messiah be his son?”

  • Since they wouldn’t ask a question, Jesus can
  • He goes to the absolute core of the matter: His Messiahship & His Divinity
  • Christ uses this beloved passage to identify Himself
  • They were looking for another David; David had pointed them to God Incarnate
  • Great insight missed by Jews because they were so corrupt & self-serving

This is Tremendous Revelation: Psalm 110

“How condescending on Jehovah’s part to permit a mortal ear to hear, and a human pen to record his secret converse with his co-equal Son! How greatly should we prize the revelation of his private and solemn discourse with the Son, herein made public for the refreshing of his people!” ~ Charles Spurgeon

45 Then, with the crowds listening, he turned to his disciples and said, 46 “Beware of these teachers of religious law! For they like to parade around in flowing robes and love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces. And how they love the seats of honor in the synagogues and the head table at banquets. 47 Yet they shamelessly cheat widows out of their property and then pretend to be pious by making long prayers in public. Because of this, they will be severely punished.”

  • Christ gives this warning directly to His disciples (You and I)
  • Look out for their influence! Beware of becoming like them!

SUMMARY:

You cannot apply the principals and norms of this life to The Resurrection / Heaven.

God decides who will be resurrected, and this next life is eternal.

Those who belong to God have always been and will always be, alive to Him.

Understanding Christ’s divinity as Messiah is a crucial element to Biblical Salvation.

God’s judgement is and will be upon those who steal His Glory and exploit people.

APPLICATION:

What do YOU know from Scripture about Eternity for those God gives salvation to?

What does it specifically mean to YOU to be ‘Alive to God’?

What do YOU know about the Old Testament prophecies concerning The Messiah / Christ?

Why does God want US to know He will punish those who abuse His authority?

/by

Luke Pt. 41 Are you investing in this life or the next?

I love the way the Scripture chronicles Christ’s ministry, the conversations He had. Our passage today is a classic example of how Jesus would deal with tricks & traps. He’d put the question asker on the spot, then tell stories that featured a version of His enemies. He would also make profound theological statements that left everyone speechless. He would do all of that in one exchange, like we see in our passage today. He will get asked a question that will lead him into a story that points out the wickedness of the religious establishment and then take another question and turn it into the deep lesson.

Ch 20:1-26

20 One day as Jesus was teaching the people and preaching the Good News in the Temple, the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders came up to him. 2 They demanded, “By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right?”

  • Teaching & preaching the Good News in the Temple, against the establishment
  • ‘We’ the ruling religious establishment did not give you the right / authority
  • They thought God’s authority was theirs to do with as they pleased

3 “Let me ask you a question first,” He replied. 4 “Did John’s authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human?”

  • Answer a question with a question…
  • Classic Jesus question: there is a right answer but it is costly…

5 They talked it over among themselves. “If we say it was from heaven, he will ask why we didn’t believe John. 6 But if we say it was merely human, the people will stone us because they are convinced John was a prophet.” 7 So they finally replied that they didn’t know.

  • They had to protect their franchise of power, that was the overriding concern
  • Recognizing John’s ministry when was preaching was the thing to do…

8 And Jesus responded, “Then I won’t tell you by what authority I do these things.”

  • If you cannot be honest about the reality of God you wont listen to what I say
  • If someone denies the obvious work of God they will not recognize His authority
  • Jesus says: you guys don’t get to demand anything based on what you’ve done

9 Now Jesus turned to the people again and told them this story: “A man planted a vineyard, leased it to tenant farmers, and moved to another country to live for several years. 10 At the time of the grape harvest, he sent one of his servants to collect his share of the crop. But the farmers attacked the servant, beat him up, and sent him back empty-handed.

  • This story is to illustrate the the way the Jewish establishment has acted to God
  • The people in charge of the Temple are the tenant farmers (Stewards)
  • God sent a representative (Prophet) to get His due harvest (honest worship)
  • They had stopped treating the Temple like it was God’s & used it as their own
  • This prophet is ignored & attacked

11 So the owner sent another servant, but they also insulted him, beat him up, and sent him away empty-handed. 12 A third man was sent, and they wounded him and chased him away. 13 “‘What will I do?’ the owner asked himself. ‘I know! I’ll send my cherished son. Surely they will respect him.’

  • Obviously the owner is God, He doesn’t give up on the tenants, 2nd chance…
  • These next two ‘Prophets’ are physically ill treated… It keeps getting worse
  • The Owner figures that it is a matter of Him needing to show more authority
  • He figures there is no way they will not respect His ‘Only Son’ (His Beloved)

14 “But when the tenant farmers saw his son, they said to each other, ‘Here comes the heir to this estate. Let’s kill him and get the estate for ourselves!’ 15 So they dragged him out of the vineyard and murdered him.

  • Instead of responding with contrition, they get even more ruthless & rebellious
  • They decide instead of abusing the owner’s authority, they will be the authority
  • They take Him from what is His and Murder Him (not just kill, murder)

“What do you suppose the owner of the vineyard will do to them?” Jesus asked. 16 “I’ll tell you—he will come and kill those farmers and lease the vineyard to others.” “How terrible that such a thing should ever happen,” his listeners protested.

  • Christ puts the question directly to the Sanhedrin: What should these guys get?
  • Jesus says here is what is gonna happen: Tenants are going to be replaced
  • The Sanhedrin guys are like: Oh how could anyone be that awful?
  • Jesus is describing what they have actually done (Like Nathan with King David)

17 Jesus looked at them and said, “Then what does this Scripture mean? ‘The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’ 18 Everyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone it falls on.”

  • Christ points them to the Scriptures to understand who He is and who they are
  • If they don’t recognize Jesus for who He is, He will end up being their demise
  • There is an incredibly high price to pay for rejecting Jesus The Christ

19 The teachers of religious law and the leading priests wanted to arrest Jesus immediately because they realized he was telling the story against them—they were the wicked farmers. But they were afraid of the people’s reaction.

  • Once they see Jesus is directly criticizing them they want to silence Him
  • But they had to tread lightly because they feared the crowd turning on them

20 Watching for their opportunity, the leaders sent spies pretending to be honest men. They tried to get Jesus to say something that could be reported to the Roman governor so he would arrest Jesus.

  • Sanhedrin start a campaign to trip Jesus up so the Romans will silence Him
  • They want to get the Romans to do their dirty work for them, was safer that way

21 “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you speak and teach what is right and are not influenced by what others think. You teach the way of God truthfully. 22 Now tell us—is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

  • The set up is to flatter Him, get Him to become prideful…
  • The trap they tried to set was to have Christ make a treasonous statement
  • They are asking Christ to recognize Rome’s authority

23 He saw through their trickery and said, 24 “Show me a Roman coin. Whose picture and title are stamped on it?” “Caesar’s,” they replied. 25 “Well then,” He said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.”

  • Of course God / Christ knows exactly how to combat their argument
  • ‘Coin’ is a metaphor for what belongs to this fallen world, embedded with sin
  • The reality of things as they are in this world must be dealt with
  • God’s followers are to have a value system that is different, different priorities
  • We participate in this world a little as possible, giving everything else to God
  • Giving everything else to God means having values that are formed by HIM

SURRENDER TO THE GOSPEL = Give God what belongs to God, YOUR LIFE!

26 So they failed to trap him by what he said in front of the people. Instead, they were amazed by his answer, and they became silent.

  • The effect was the opposite of what the Religious Leaders wanted
  • Obviously they had no idea of Christ’s divinity, constantly underestimating Him
  • They could choose to give up trying to kill Him…

SUMMARY:

God requires honesty in the way you inquire of Him, He is not obligated to respond.

God will not reveal Himself to those playing power games with people’s faith.

As Christ’s followers we are all Stewards of Christ’s Redemption and God’s Glory.

God entrusts His authority to Leaders, but they are held accountable by Him.

The system of this fallen world is not what God’s people are to invest in.

Christ’s Followers are stuck in ‘This World’ but are focused on eternal values.

APPLICATION:

In what ways might you be less than honest with God? How do you stop doing that?

How might you specifically be a better steward of The Gospel & God’s Reputation?

What role can you play in our Church Body to encourage Kingdom Stewardship?

How do you evaluate whether you are more invested in this world or the next?

/by

Luke Pt.40 The Messiah or Your Messiah?

This is the week before Christs resurrection, the beginning of Holy Week, The Triumphal Entry to Jerusalem, Palm Sunday… No palm leaves in Luke’s Gospel… This may be familiar story to you but I hope you find something deeper in it today. We will see Jesus of Nazareth demonstrates He IS Jesus The Christ! The masses recognize Him as the Messiah, for a minute. To them He might be the Messiah, but is He their messiah? Christ speaks of the Judgement that falls on those who don’t recognize The Messiah. He condemns profiteering by religious authorities and sets up shop in the Temple.

Luke 19:28-48

28 After telling this story, Jesus went on toward Jerusalem, walking ahead of his disciples. 29 As he came to the towns of Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives, he sent two disciples ahead. 30 “Go into that village over there,” He told them. “As you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks, ‘Why are you untying that colt?’ just say, ‘The Lord needs it.’”

  • Christ just told the Parable of the Ten Servants (Kingdom Stewardship)
  • This is a week before his resurrection
  • Jesus gives instructions that demonstrate His authority over ALL things

32 So they went and found the colt, just as Jesus had said. 33 And sure enough, as they were untying it, the owners asked them, “Why are you untying that colt?” 34 And the disciples simply replied, “The Lord needs it.” 35 So they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their garments over it for him to ride on.

  • After 3 years with Christ the disciples are getting used to the supernatural
  • Riding a colt Zachariah 9:9
    • This is a different kind of kingship / Humble & Gracious; not Overlording.
    • Jesus The Christ knows exactly what is going to happen

    36 As he rode along, the crowds spread out their garments on the road ahead of him. 37 When he reached the place where the road started down the Mount of Olives, all of his followers began to shout and sing as they walked along, praising God for all the wonderful miracles they had seen. 38 “Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in highest heaven!”

    • A lot of people, a lot of excitement: singing and shouting praises to God
    • Many of garments were ‘Prayer Shawls’ Tassels on corners, inscribed collar
    • Collar read: ‘Lord of lords and King of kings’, reminder of the coming Messiah
    • Laying these garments down was recognition of Jesus’ Messiahship
    • V 38 Literal: ‘Blessed is the coming one, the king, the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest.’ Psalm 118:26
    • End of Psalm: ‘From the house of the Lord we bless you.’ (Hebrew is Plural)

    39 But some of the Pharisees among the crowd said, “Teacher, rebuke your followers for saying things like that!” 40 He replied, “If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!”

    • Jesus of Nazareth being called ‘Messiah’ made the Religious Elites indignant
    • They could not even be open to the idea that Jesus was the Christ
    • Jesus says: God ordained the recognition of Him as Christ, one way or another

    41 But as he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep. 42 “How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes.

    • Seeing Jerusalem changed His mood…
    • Knowing that the Jewish Establishment would not recognize Him as Christ hurt!
    • Of all people… It is so Ironic, yet consistent with Israel’s history
    • The die is cast! It is God’s will that the majority of Jews not recognize Christ
    • The way to peace with God in Christ is to be hidden from the majority of Jews

    43 Before long your enemies will build ramparts against your walls and encircle you and close in on you from every side. 44 They will crush you into the ground, and your children with you. Your enemies will not leave a single stone in place, because you did not recognize it when God visited you.”

    • Jesus predicts what will happen to the Religious Establishment / Temple
    • This happens in 70 AD when the Roman destroy Jerusalem and The Temple
    • This is God’s Judgement on the corrupt Jewish Religious Establishment
    • Was it God’s will? If it happened, it is God’s will.
    • God’s Justice is not in our power to judge whether it is fair or not

    45 Then Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people selling animals for sacrifices. 46 He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.”

    • Then He goes to the center of the cancer, the source of the corruption
    • The Temple Rulers were cheating people who were trying to worship God
    • Serious offense: Stealing from people by using God!
    • 2nd time Jesus has dome this, it’s the 1st thing he does upon entering the city.

    47 After that, he taught daily in the Temple, but the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the other leaders of the people began planning how to kill him. 48 But they could think of nothing, because all the people hung on every word he said.

    • The next four day Jesus The Christ is going to do some serious teaching
    • This will drive the religious leaders to get rid of Him
    • They realized how popular Jesus was… so they were going to have to play dirty

    SUMMARY:

    With the colt Christ demonstrates His omniscience and omnipotence.

    Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem was intentional fulfillment of prophecy.

    For a fleeting moment Jesus was recognized as Messiah / Christ by the masses.

    God is grieved when people reject Him. Then & Now.

    God’s judgement is based on HIS idea of justice, and can seem unfair to us.

    Fighting the corruption of true worship was Jesus’ priority, it should be ours as well.

    APPLICATION:

    What practices can you build into your life to continually recognize Jesus as Christ?

    How do you avoid complacency in your relationship with Christ?

    What do you specifically base your ideas and expectations of ‘Justice’ on?

    What can you do to keep worship pure here at Midtown?

    /by

    Luke Pt. 39: One Gospel, Our Equal Responsibility

    Context:

    The Lord was at Jericho, on His way to Jerusalem for the final time. He brought salvation to Zacchaeus, and has re-stated his mission to earth for the large crowds gathering. (v.10)

    Luke 19:11-27

    While they were listening to these things, Jesus went on to tell a parable, because He was near Jerusalem, and they supposed that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately.

    • Crowds are pressing around Him. In response to their thinking (the kingdom is imminent), He taught a story.

    “A nobleman went to a distant country to receive a kingdom for himself, and then return. And he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas and said to them, ‘do business with this until I come back.’ But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying ‘we do not want this man to reign over us.’ When he returned, after receiving the kingdom, he ordered that these servants to whom he had given the money, be called to him so that he might know what business they had done.”

    • He was going away. After a prolonged absence, He will return. He will lay down His life, defeat sin and death, then go to the Father and receive His kingdom.
    • Prior to departure, He gave each servant the same trust, one mina, approx. 4 months wages. Not enormous, but sufficient. He commands them to do business with it, and get on with life and their responsibilities.
    • While similar, this story is distinct from the parable of the Talents (Matt 25), in which the servants were distributed varying talents/differing responsibilities.
    • This story refers to our common and equal obligation, the gospel. The gospel makes us one (Gal 3:28), joint heirs with Christ. Our handling and use of the gospel is a serious stewardship matter with the Lord.

    “The first appeared, saying, ‘Master, your mina has made ten minas more.’ And he said to him, “well done, good servant, because you have been faithful in a very little thing, you are to be in authority over ten cities.’ The second came, saying, “Your mina, master, has made five minas.’ And he said to him also, ‘and you are to be over five cities.'”

    • He will return, and summon His servants to account for this stewardship. One gained 10. Another gained 5. Both were rewarded with vast kingdom authority, far beyond any accounting of their actual stewardship.

    “Another came saying, ‘Master, here is your mina, which I kept put away in a handkerchief; for I was afraid of you, because you are an exacting man; you take up what you did not lay down and reap what you did not sow.’ He said to him, ‘by your own words I will judge you, you worthless servant. Did you know that I am an exacting man, taking up what I did not lay down and reaping what I did not sow? Then why did you not put my money in the bank, and having come, I would have collected it with interest?’

    • This servant slanders His Lord, degrades Him as a harsh, vindictive fraud, who gains wealth by plundering, but never working for anything.
    • The Lord does not acknowledge or agree with the servant’s accusation, but throws his words back at him in judgment. If the servant really believed what He said, he would have acted differently.
    • The unfaithful servant made no attempt to do anything with the trust given to him.

    “Then he said to the bystanders, ‘take the mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.’ And they said to him, “Master, he has ten minas.’ I tell you that to everyone who has, more shall be given, but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. But these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them in my presence.”

    • The faithless servant was exposed as a fraud, and stripped of his trust.
    • The Lord ends with a shocking and sobering warning to those who reject His Lordship.
    • It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (Heb 10:31)

    Application for the church:

    If we invest the kingdom in people and release them to conduct kingdom work, then expect God to send us more…..people.

    If we hoard and collect people, hold onto them as a possession of the church, then expect God to hollow us out.

    Questions:

    -Can you concisely explain / describe the gospel? And why it matters?

    -Are you prepared to share your God story? To those who ask the reason for your hope and joy.

    /by

    Luke Pt. 38: Approaching, Responding and Becoming

    The practices that begin a relationship with Jesus are the same practices that grow a relationship with Jesus. It is critical how we approach Christ, and how we respond to Christ. He we follow Jesus’ teachings we then can become what God wants us to be: reflections of the image of His Son.

    18:35-43 & 19:1-10

    35 As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind beggar was sitting beside the road. 36 When he heard the noise of a crowd going past, he asked what was happening. 37 They told him that Jesus the Nazarene was going by. 38 So he began shouting, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 39 “Be quiet!” the people in front yelled at him. But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

    • Everywhere Jesus went crowds followed, they called him ‘Jesus the Nazarene’
    • When the beggar starts yelling: ‘Jesus Son of David’, he is told to be quiet!
    • He just yelled Louder, but same thing: ‘Son of David’
    • Calling Jesus ‘Son of David is calling Him Messiah / THE Son of David
    • He is asking for mercy, this is an approach from brokenness not entitlement
    • The beggar is persistent.

    40 When Jesus heard him, he stopped and ordered that the man be brought to him. As the man came near, Jesus asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do for you?”“Lord,” he said, “I want to see!”

    • Jesus ‘heard him’… He heard the beggar call him Messiah
    • He stops, says: ‘bring that guy’ and then the beggar approaches Christ
    • He doesn’t ask for eternal life from the one he has identified as Messiah, why?
    • What is most important to him, what amounts to mercy for him is SIGHT

    42 And Jesus said, “All right, receive your sight! Your faith has healed you.” 43 Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus, praising God. And all who saw it praised God, too.

    • Christ is quick to accommodate the request
    • Christ identifies the conduit that brought God’s healing to the beggar
    • The Beggar responds by becoming Christ’s follower and giving God the credit
    • It was the general consensus among those who witnessed it that God did it!

    SO the crowd grows! And Christ continues into Jericho

    1 Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. 2 There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich. 3 He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way.

    • Chief tax collector in the region is a big deal (Levi / Matthew similar position)
    • These were private contractors, entrepreneurs who bid for the job
    • It was understood: ‘tax collectors’ were traitors that helped Rome oppress Israel
    • He was unable to get through the large crowd, could have gone back inside
    • But something was drawing Zacchaeus to Jesus… He became persistent
    • He got up in the tree! This kind of tree is easy to climb, they grow horizontally
    • Not only would he see Jesus, Jesus could not miss him!

    5 When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.”

    6 Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. 7 But the people were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled.

    • Zacchaeus appears to not say a word, hanging out being humble
    • Christ knew Zacchaeus just like He knows you and me
    • Jesus says: ‘I want to be your guest, I know your deal, things are changing’
    • But the ‘Crowd’ didn’t like that Christ had picked Zacchaeus to stay with
    • People who don’t understand who Christ is are always critical of what He does

    8 Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!”

    • While everyone else was ‘second guessing’ God… Zacchaeus gets real with Jesus
    • He pledges actions in response to the personal invite to be together
    • He is going to not only make it right, he is going to sacrifice his rightful earnings
    • Zacchaeus is a camel going through the eye of the needle!
    • What seemed impossible for someone like him, became possible with God
    • The approach enabled the response

    9 Jesus responded, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”

    • Christ declares salvation is here right now
    • Zacchaeus has become a true child of faith through his response / action
    • Jesus is in the biz of finding guys like Zacchaeus, guys and girls like us
    • He finds us in our lostness and changes everything, like He did for Zacchaeus!

    SUMMARY:

    Those who have it hard in this life readily recognize Jesus as God.

    When Jesus is approached as Lord & Christ, HE will bring healing to your life.

    Faith in Jesus as ‘The Christ’ not only heals; it makes you follow Him and praise Him.

    Our response to Christ’s love should be extravagant and cost us things we valued.

    A Son of Abraham believes God is who He says He is; that is the basis of salvation.

    Christ is going to seek those who realize they are lost.

    God enables us to approach Him with humility, repentance, trust and persistence.

    When we approach Jesus like this we come to know Him as The Christ / God

    THE GOSPEL: When we recognize Jesus as The Christ we become ‘Children of Faith’!

    APPLICATION:

    What does it mean Biblically for us to recognize Jesus as ‘Son of David’?

    What’s Christ specifically done for you, causing you to actively follow & worship Him?

    How can you be more like Zaccheaus? (Persistent, Humble, Trusting, & Repentant)

    How do you recognize your lostness while showing yourself to be a child of faith?

    /by

    Luke Pt. 37: Surrendering What You Have To Receive Much More

    Last Week: The Persistent Widow, The Pharisee & The Tax Collector, and The Children all stories Christ tells to show us how to approach God. This week: The Young Rich Ruler, there is more about approaching God, but Christ also speaks directly to how we are to enter into the Kingdom. Christ’s exchange with the ruler leads to a back and forth about eternity and ends with Christ disclosing to the clueless disciples how it will all end for Him on earth as the Messiah.

    Ch 18:18-34

    18 Now a certain ruler asked Him saying, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

    • Text says certain ruler, he is called ‘The Rich Young Ruler’
    • He asks what must I do? As in how do I earn eternal life?
    • The idea of eternal life being inherited is about religious entitlement

    19 And Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good except one: God. 20 You know the commandments: you shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness, honor your father and mother.”

    • Christ make a clear distinction God & humans, no human is good, only God
    • He then shifts to the idea of the man keeping the law
    • These commandment Christ lists are meant to represent the whole law
    • Truly defined these commandments cannot be kept by human power
    • Biblical definition of Adultery (all sex outside of God ordained marriage)
    • Murder (not Killing)
    • Stealing (taking of anything, even ideas & credit)
    • False witness (Commission & Omission)
    • Honoring your parents (not dependent on them being honorable)

    21 The man replied; “All these I have kept since my youth.”

    • So here is why they call him ‘young’; the only past he can cite is his youth
    • He tries to claim he has kept all of God’s Law according to the Jewish religion
    • It is surprising Jesus dosen’t call BS right then and there
    • He is going to let the ‘Young Ruler’ prove himself false in his claim

    22 Upon hearing this Jesus said to him, “One thing you still lack: sell all that you possess and distribute the proceeds to the poor, and then you will have treasures in heaven. Then come follow me.”

    • Christ says: ‘I will assume you are telling the truth, so you will do what I ask”
    • He tells him to sell all of his ‘stuff’ and give the proceeds to those in need
    • You will not actually lose anything because you will be rewarded eternally
    • And surrender your life to following Me (God / Messiah / Son of Man / Christ)
    • Jesus asked him to demonstrate what had priority in his life; stuff or God

    23 But when he heard this he became very sad; he was extremely wealthy.

    • Here is why we call him rich: he had lot’s of stuff & money
    • He dosen’t own his wealth, his wealth owns him!
    • His possessions have come between him & eternal life
    • No middle ground: either you are possessed by God or by your possessions

    24 Jesus looked at him, becoming very sad, and said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! 25 In fact it is easier for a camel to enter through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God!”

    • Christ sees the ‘Young Rich Rulers’ heart, it’s not for God, & that saddens Him
    • It makes Him sad because He knows many will fall into this trap
    • He declares how difficult it is to have resources and enter relationship W/ Christ
    • It is a mini parable about a Universal Spiritual Truth
    • How a camel enters the door known as the ‘eye of the needle’
    • Those with wealth must emulate the camel: lose the stuff & get on your knees

    26 Those who heard it said, “Who then can be saved?” 27 Jesus said, “What is impossible for mortal beings is possible for God.”

    • The response to Jesus is: “That is super hard, how can anyone pull that off!”
    • Christ makes the point: You can’t earn heaven or have it passed down to you
    • Heaven is only entered into by those who God gives ‘Grace’ (undeserved favor)
    • Who can be saved? Whoever God enables to be saved: end of story
    • Knowing you can’t do enough to be good enough for God is the starting point
    • Then asking God to do what only He can…and being good with Him calling all the shots
    • I know I begged Him to save me… I was willing to give up whatever He asked
    • Giving up stuff dosen’t get you saved, it proves God’s work in you of salvation

    28 Then Peter said, “ Look, we have left what was ours and followed you.”

    • Peter is like, ‘Yeah, we have done that, given up everything to follow Christ’
    • They didn’t do it to win God’s favor, it was their response to experiencing it

    29 Then Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, there is no one who has left home or wife or siblings or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God 30 who will not receive many times as much in this age and in the age to come; eternal life.

    • Pat attention when Christ says: ‘I tell you the truth’
    • Sacrifice made at God’s request and for His purposes will be blessed
    • The rewards in this life are relational
    • In the next age, eternal life with Christ is THE reward (no eye has seen…)

    31 Taking the twelve aside, He said to them, “See we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything written by the prophets regarding the Son of man will be carried out. 32 For He will be handed over to the Gentiles and will be ridiculed and ill treated and spate on. 33 Then after scourging Him they will kill Him, but on the third day He will rise again.”

    • To the twelve Christ describes part of how that eternal life will be purchased
    • It is the example of sacrifice Christ gives His followers
    • He is going to give up everything He has in this life for things more valuable

    34 But the twelve understood none of these things; in fact, what He said was kept hidden from them and they did not grasp what was being said.

    • Christ implanted un-comprehended truth that the Spirit would later illuminate

    SUMMARY:

    There have been and will always be the idea that you can earn or inherit eternal life.

    It is immature, prideful and foolish for anyone to believe they can keep God’s law.

    An unwillingness to part with possessions will keep you from eternal life.

    Christ’s followers use possessions to help those in need & approach God humbly.

    The ability to give up your life for Christ is God given, only He can make it happen.

    Sacrifice of what we have will lead to a greater richness for this life and eternity.

    Christ leads the way for us in showing how sacrifice leads to God’s glory.

    We may not understand what Christ is modeling for us, but by faith we will one day.

    APPLICATION:

    How well do you obey the ten commandments?

    How do you plan to keep your possessions from coming between you and God?

    What is your response to the Biblical truth that it is God alone who can save anyone?

    In what ways does Christ’s sacrifice inspire your attitudes and lifestyle choices?

    /by

    Luke Pt. 36: What Jesus Teaches about Approaching God

    1 One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. 2 “There was a judge in a certain city,” he said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people. 3 A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’ 4 The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, 5 but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’”

    • Another parable, Jesus uses devices that he knows his audience will understand.

    • Very few parables where we start being given the point the message with the point.

    • An unjust judge, the polar opposite of how the audience would see God. Does not respect the natural or man-made order of things. Jesus repeats this twice, it is meant to be very clear.

    • there is no way that judge would do something right!

    • characteristics of the widow: alone, helpless. society was supposed to take care of this person. persistent. ask for justice.

    • judge’s response: he helps her! motivation not proper, but she gets what she asks for

    6 Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. 7 Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?”

    • I won’t summarize, Jesus does it for me. If the unjust judge does the right thing, how much more justice will God dispense?

    • How God cares for the sparrow. Luke 12:16 “Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God.”

    • Jesus says God “will surely give justice”. not new cars, not a spouse, not health. justice.

    • Justice – “things as they should be”. shalom, means as it should be.

    • What is Justice? We inherently have a desire for justice, God put it in us as our creator.

    2 Samuel 12:1-14 Backstory: David slept with another man’s wife, Nathan coming to reprimand.

    So the LORD sent Nathan the prophet to tell David this story: “There were two men in a certain town. One was rich, and one was poor. The rich man owned a great many sheep and cattle. The poor man owned nothing but one little lamb he had bought. He raised that little lamb, and it grew up with his children. It ate from the man’s own plate and drank from his cup. He cuddled it in his arms like a baby daughter. One day a guest arrived at the home of the rich man. But instead of killing an animal from his own flock or herd, he took the poor man’s lamb and killed it and prepared it for his guest.” David was furious. “As surely as the LORD lives,” he vowed, “any man who would do such a thing deserves to die!”

    • David is the bad guy in this story. David understands what justice is. we know it when we see it. but only partially, what actually happens?

    • David doesn’t get death he thinks he deserves. it seems unjust that an innocent child would die because of actions not his own.

    • our desires are good! But we need to moderate it with humility that our limited capacity gets in the way.

    • 2 Peter 3:13 says “we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells”. by expecting that justice will come in this life, we are setting ourselves up for failure, expectations that wont always be met.

    • Thousands of years after the original sin, justice was satisfied once and for all.

    • 1 Peter 3:18

    “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God”.

    • Why should He have to die? Our fleshly take is wrong!

    • Do we trust our own intellect to decide how or when things are to be made right?

    • Do you believe God will vindicate his elect, are you taking it in to your own hands?

    • Persistence, bred by trust. trust that His justice will come. we are to faithfully ask for it.

    9 Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: 10 “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector.

    • Parables are important to keep the context.

    • tax collector, lowest possible occupation. seen as traitor, worked for roman government. associated with corruption and scum. “despised” is added for our context.

    • Pharisee, we see as bad guys. but they were the religious establishment, seen as the go between God and the people. the teachers, righteous and holy. standard bearers, cultural virtue. they knew about God, they know how to approach him.

    • defined audience, ” great confidence in their own righteousness “

    11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people—cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! 12 I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’

    • what is the focus of this prayer?

    • the works play a big part, his own actions, things done and hasn’t done.

    • works based theology is still around today!

    13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ 14 I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

    • what a difference in posture! won’t look toward heaven. standing at a distance, not bringing attention to himself.

    • Putting on a show, is our relationship with Christ meant to be a public display?

    • acknowledgment of his nature. what does God prioritize, care about? repentance, acceptance of the real world? Or putting on a facade?

    • can we get real with God?

    • The Pharisee does not show any conviction about his own actions.

    • pulls the rug out, subverts the audiences expectation.

    • Humility, which is cultivated by honest assessment of our condition on earth, which is our sinful nature.

    15 One day some parents brought their little children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But when the disciples saw this, they scolded the parents for bothering him. 16 Then Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. 17 I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”

    • children in the ancient world were seen and not heard. bothersome to serious activity. rabbi in town, shouldn’t be bothered by some kids.

    • vs 16 ” For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children”. Focuses on how they receive the kingdom.

    • a spoiled child isn’t what we’re talking about. 12 year old’s are men, we’re talking about kids under 5. newness, innocent toward life, not made bitter.

    • wonder, amazement, no preconceived notions, without entitlements. with trust.

    • we build over time defense mechanisms, jadedness, self-preservation

    • parent knows everything in the world

    • God wont betray the trust.

    • Trust, built by throwing out preconceived notions, and acknowledge that God loves and cares about us, what he has for us is great.

    Summary:

    Jesus tells us to approach God with persistence, humility, and trust.

    From the parable of the widow, we learn to persist because we know God will deliver

    From the second parable, we learn to be humble because we know we cannot do it on our own.

    From the third interaction, we learn to trust Him because He loves us so much He sent his son to die for us.

    Application:

    Why do we try to take matters into our own hands instead of giving them over to God?

    Are you putting on a spiritual show? What can we do to avoid a glamorous spiritual life?

    In what ways can we remain humble?

    /by